What part of speech is “instead”

as an adverb, 'instead' is used to describe doing something as an alternative or substitute to another action or situation.

'instead' often appears at the beginning or end of a clause. It can be used to contrast two actions or situations, highlighting a preference or choice made over another option.

I didn't want to go out, so I stayed home instead.

Instead of going to the movies, we watched a film at home.

She didn't have coffee, so she drank tea instead.

'Instead' and 'instead of' have different uses. While 'instead' is an adverb, 'instead of' is a preposition. Ensure you're using the correct form based on the context. Avoid redundancy. Phrases like 'but instead' can often be shortened to just 'instead' when the context is clear. For example, 'He didn't go to the party, but instead he stayed home.' can be shortened to 'He didn't go to the party; instead, he stayed home.' Be cautious not to overuse 'instead' in a single piece of writing, as it can make the text repetitive.