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What does In place of in English mean? Distinguishing In place of, (Be) in place, and Instead of

What does In place of in English mean? For many beginner English learners, In place of may be a relatively new phrase. In this article, PREP will share all the relevant knowledge about the definition, usage, and how to distinguish between In place of, (Be) in place, and Instead of. Please check it out!

The usage of In place of in English
The usage of In place of in English

I. What does In place of in English mean?

What does In place of in English mean? According to the Cambridge Dictionary, In place of is a phrase in English, meaning: in exchange for/ instead of someone or something else. For example:

  • You can use cream in place of milk in this dish. 
  • I prefer having more friends in place of more enemies. 
What does In place of in English mean?
What does In place of in English mean?

II. The usage of In place of in English

In place of is used when the speaker wants to refer to or mention someone or something that is taking the role, position or doing the job/task of someone or something else.

Formula:

Subject + In place of + Noun/ V-ing + object

For example:

  • That evening, Robert had a glass of wine in place of his usual beer
  • Merry decided to travel to Europe in place of sitting at home in sadness. 
The usage of In place of in English
The usage of In place of in English

III. Synonymous words and phrases for In place of in English

Let's review synonymous words and phrases for In place of in English in the table below!

Synonym 

Example

Instead of

I have discussions with John instead of argument.argument. 

Represent

The vice president will represent the company at the international conference next week. 

Act as a substitute for

Please ask Jane to act as a substitute for you during the meeting if you cannot attend. 

Stand in the place of

The elder brother often has to stand in the place of their parents when they are away. 

Be proxy for

The attorney will be proxy for the client in legal matters during their absence. 

Be an agent for

The sales representative will be an agent for the company in negotiations with potential clients. 

Agent

The real estate agent will act as an agent for the homeowners in selling the property. 

Be deputy for

In the absence of the team leader, Tom will be deputy for making decisions on behalf of the team. 

Be in the position of

As the eldest sibling, Anna is in the position of making decisions for the family. 

Speak and act for

In legal proceedings, attorneys speak and act for their clients to represent their interests. 

IV. Distinguishing between (Be) in place and In place of in English

Are (Be) in place and In place of different or similar? Let's explore the answer together below.

 

(Be) in place

In place of

Meaning

In the correct or usual position or order/ organized

In exchange for/ instead of someone or something else.

Example

The chairs are all in place

The arrangements are all in place for the concert next Thursday. 

I decide to put two chairs in place of three one in the bedroom. 

Distinguishing between (Be) in place and In place of in English
Distinguishing between (Be) in place and In place of in English

V. Distinguishing between Instead of and In place of in English

Instead of and In place of in English are synonymous in meaning, which is "in exchange for/ instead of someone or something else". Therefore, in addition to using In place of, you can replace it with the phrase Instead of to avoid repetition when communicating and help improve your vocabulary.

For example: You waste a lot of water by having a bath instead of a shower. = You waste a lot of water by having a bath in place of a shower. 

VI. Practice exercises on In place of in English with answers

To better understand the usage of In place of in English, please complete the exercise below!

1. Exercises

Fill in: (Be) in place or In place of in the appropriate blanks

  1. The preparations for the event _______, and everything is ready to go.
  2. All the necessary measures _______  to ensure the safety of the participants.
  3. It's crucial to have a solid foundation _______ before launching a new business.
  4. The new system _______, improving efficiency across the organization.
  5. She decided to use almond milk _______  regular milk in the recipe.
  6. The manager appointed a new team leader _______ the previous one.
  7. _______ the scheduled meeting, a brief email update was sent to the team.
  8. All the ingredients for the recipe _______, now it's time to start cooking
  9. _______ a physical event, the conference was held virtually due to unforeseen circumstances.
  10. The chef used tofu _______  meat to create a vegetarian version of the dish.

2. Answer

  1. are in place
  2. are in place
  3. in place
  4. is in place
  5. in place of
  6. in place of
  7. in place of
  8. are in place
  9. in place of
  10. in place of

PREP hopes this article has helped you find the answer to the question "What does In place of in English mean?", as well as properly understand usage, synonyms, and differentiate between In place of, (Be) in place, and Instead of. Please follow PREP for more quality English language updates!

Master Tu Pham
Master Tu Pham
Founder/CEO at Prep
Founder of Prep Smart Test Preparation Platform. With over 10 years of experience in teaching and test preparation, Mr. Tú has helped thousands of students achieve high scores in the IELTS exam. In addition, Mr. Tú Phạm is also a consulting expert in British Council programs and a speaker at many leading educational events, programs, and conferences.
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