instead and instead of

Preposition: instead of

Instead is not used alone as a preposition; we use the two words instead of.

• I’ll have tea instead of coffee, please. (not … instead coffee …)
• Can you work with Sophie instead of me today, please?

Instead of is not usually followed by an infinitive.

• I stayed in bed all day instead of going to work. (not … instead of (to) go to work.)

instead of and without

Instead of suggests that one person, thing or action replaces another. Without suggests that one person, thing, etc is not together with another. Compare:

• Ruth was invited to the reception, but she was ill, so Lou went instead of her. (Lou replaced Ruth.) (not … Lou went without her.)
  Max and Jake were invited, but Max was ill, so Jake went without him. (Normally they would have gone together.)
• She often goes swimming instead of going to school. (Swimming replaces school.) (not She often goes swimming without going to school.)
  She often goes swimming without telling her mother. (Swimming and telling her mother should go together.) (not She often goes swimming instead of telling her mother.)

Adverb: instead

Instead (without of) is an adverb. It usually begins or ends a clause.

• She didn’t go to Greece after all. Instead, she went to America.
• Don’t marry Jake. Marry me instead.

We do not use instead to mark a contrast, in the sense of ‘on the other hand’.

• He’s a rather anti-social person. On the other hand, he’s very generous. (not Instead, he’s very generous.)