Would you rather use would rather or would prefer? Or would you prefer to use would
rather rather than would prefer? And now i'm confused... And that means that you
must be confused too! Oh no! My name is Toby, this is SMASH English and here is everything
you need to know about using would rather and would prefer for the C1 Advanced Cambridge exam.
Would rather + the bare infinitive. We use would rather with the bare infinitive to talk about a
general preference. We often use this in the form of a comparative. I would rather walk than drive.
I'd rather eat my own face than spend another moment with you. These can refer to a preference
that is always true or to a future situation. Hey Bruce, what do you want to do today? I don't know.
Um do you want to like go to a disco? No, I'd rather not. Here Bruce has replaced the bare
infinitive with NOT. This is the short form for "No I would rather not go to a disco".
Would you like to dance with me? No I'd rather not but I will anyway because I feel
sorry for you. This is what every girl said to me at school discos. And that was a terrible thing.
Did you know that British people play a game with this grammar structure? Yes! A game! An exciting
game! How fun! It's called "Would you rather". Hey Monica! What would you rather? Yeah... Lose your
legs or your arms? Um well I'd rather lose my arms than lose my legs because like my legs are so hot
and guys always tell me how hot my legs are like I've never had a guy say to me "wow, Monica,
you're so hot you've got such beautiful arms like that's never happened ever. Like, obviously I know
my arms are super hot because they're attached to my body and my body's great but yeah if I had
to choose I'd say like I'd rather lose my arms then lose my legs yeah... Okay and what would
you rather? Would you rather be eaten alive by ants or be eaten alive by a lion? Oh my god,
Bruce! Shut up! That is gross! Well, why don't we play instead then WHO would you rather?
No, no, no, no! Let's not okay... Jesus. Would prefer plus to plus infinitive. This is the same
as "would rather plus the bare infinitive". We use "I would prefer to plus infinitive"
instead of "I prefer plus gerund" in more formal situations. Remember the use of "would" here
is what makes it more formal. It makes it unreal and more tentative, more cautious. However
it can also suggest that we are talking about an imaginary future situation. Think about the
second conditional. Bruce, I'm getting a coffee do you want one? I prefer drinking beer. Here
Bruce is talking about his general preference. Yes, yes, I know you do but
I'm going to get a coffee now for myself and i I'm asking you "would you like a coffee in the
future because I'm about to get one". I would prefer to drink a beer. Now Bruce is
more explicitly referring to an imaginary future situation. Now Bruce is not drinking beer however
in this beautiful imaginary future situation Bruce is drinking beer and he likes this situation
very very much. Think of the second conditional "if I could I would prefer to drink a beer".
Yes. Um yeah I would prefer to drink a mojito or something like that, something expensive! A what?
Oh my god! "What is a mojito!?" Bruce you are so uneducated! Oh Monica I'd prefer to have sex
on the beach with you! Calm down, Bruce! It's the name of a cocktail! Oh my god! Oh yes, the
cocktail... I was talking about the cocktail.... Would rather plus subject plus the present simple.
We use "would rather plus subject plus present simple" to talk about a preference we have for
someone or something else to do something. Toby! Bruce is drinking at work again! Well,
to be honest, Monica I would rather Bruce drinks and works than doesn't drink and doesn't work so
yeah... Yeah, Toby that's a good point because I definitely would not be here if it was not for the
alcohol so thank you very much. To be honest Toby, I would rather Bruce doesn't work. Yeah me too!
Excuse me, Duke! What did you just say!? Oh nothing, Bruce! Sorry! Don't hurt me! A more
formal way of doing this is to replace the present simple with the past simple and this does not
change the meaning. Would rather plus subject plus the past simple. I would rather Bruce
doesn't drink becomes I would rather Bruce didn't drink. I would rather it doesn't rain becomes I
would rather it didn't rain. The past simple is more polite. We are using the subjunctive here
in a very similar way to when we use the second conditional. "If I WERE you". We're using the
past simple to emphasize that a situation is imaginary. I would rather you didn't do that.
That means maybe in an imaginary future you are doing that and that makes me feel very angry so
I say "No I would rather you didn't! Please do not do that in the future!" Right? Right!
Toby, I was thinking like... can I wear something you know a bit more sensual for these videos?
I'd rather you didn't, Monica. Yeah? We're a professional company here. Look! SMASH
English. Professionals? Right! I always wear a shirt in videos and that's because I
am a professional. So you should also uphold these standards of professionalism right? Yeah,
Monica! SMASH English has a reputation for the utmost professionalism yeah!
Or would prefer plus it plus if plus subject plus the past simple.
This means the same so: I would rather you didn't becomes I would prefer it if you did not.
I would rather you came home earlier becomes I would prefer it if you came home earlier.
Hi guys! Oh goodness! Monica! You look great! Oh my diddy donuts what is going on!? Monica,
what did we say!? We said we would prefer it if you did not wear such provocative clothing
at work!? All right!? Is that so difficult to understand!? We're professionals here!
What are you talking about!? This is fashion! Right, no... sorry this is unacceptable. Monica,
can you come to my office please? Oh my god, Toby that is like so unfair!
Would rather plus subject plus the present subjunctive. We use this in very formal situations
like this one. What?! Toby, this is not right! I should be able to dress how I want!
Monica, you know me yeah? I'm cool. I'm down with the kids, man! You know girls that dress like that
they bloody love me! They think I'm great! But you know, I'd rather you be able to dress that way if
you want to dress that way... sure... It's your choice... but it's not the world that we live in,
is it Monica? No. So Toby what are you saying? I'm saying that a lot of staff would rather you
not wear clothing like this! Well, Toby! I would rather Bruce leave the company instead of me! Here
this is the grammar I am talking about: I would rather Bruce leave. This looks strange because
we would normally say "Bruce leaves" but instead we have "leave". Again this emphasizes that this
is an unreal situation and its use is exactly the same as using the past simple. Oi, Toby! What did
she just say!? Oh my god what are you doing here!? I would rather you leave than me! Oh I'd rather
Bruce be fired too! OI! Wow, Duke! Would rather plus the present subjunctive with the passive!
I would rather Bruce be fired. Good job, Duke. And of course if you would rather you could say
"I would rather Bruce were fired" It's the same. Toby! Duke is trying to sabotage my professional
life! Sabotage your what? Yeah... Bruce... professional? Yeah right. Monica seriously,
I would rather you change your clothes than be fired so please... Uh? Yeah? Well I refuse!
Well then Monica, I'm sorry but you you leave me with no choice.
Would rather plus have plus the past participle. This is where some students get confused we use
would rather plus have plus a past participle to talk about a past preference however this is
not a regret! We are talking about how we felt about a past situation
in the past. We are not talking about how we feel about a past situation in the present. No! So it's
impossible for it to be a regret! We do not use would rather plus have plus the past participle
for regrets. Do you understand!? Good! Oh so... uh... Monica's gone then... What a shame...
Oh bloody hell, Duke... Don't cry... Jesus. I would rather not have needed to fire her but
unfortunately Duke it's company policy. Nothing I can do about it, yeah? This here does not
mean Toby regrets firing Monica. Instead it means he had a past preference to not
fire her. Toby is telling us how he felt in a past moment, not how he feels now.
Yesterday I went to a restaurant. I would rather have eaten a carrot
but instead I ate a pear. I didn't have enough money for a carrot. Oh no!
Now what do we do? Would rather plus had plus the past participle.
We use would rather plus subject plus had plus the past participle to talk about regrets. So
we're talking about a past situation and how we feel about that past situation
in the present. Remember we use would rather plus have plus the past participle to talk about
a past situation and how we felt during that past situation. On the other hand we use would rather
plus subject plus had plus the past participle to talk about a past situation and how we feel about
that situation in the present. There's a big big difference there so please do not confuse the two!
I would rather have studied English but in the end I studied French. Now this means in the past
I had two options: French and English and I chose French however English would have been better at
that point in my life. But how do I feel about it now? We don't know because I have not told you!
I would rather I had studied English instead of French. Now, this means I studied French and now
in the present I feel bad about that and I think "oh no I should have studied English!" Yes? Yes!
I would rather I hadn't fired her now, jesus... There! I'd rather I hadn't fired her now!
This means Toby did fire Monica and now in the present he feels bad about it.
The holiday was okay but I'd rather the weather hadn't been so hot.
Yeah and I Toby would have preferred it if you had handled the situation a little bit better. Monica!
You're back! Well it was good while it lasted I guess. I'm sorry, Monica. All right?
I would rather you hadn't chosen to wear those clothes. That's all. You know that's unacceptable
here! Yeah, Toby, I understand that now obviously. Okay okay. It's just you know, there is a time
and a place and when we're making videos that's not the time or the place. Yeah I get it, I get it
and that's why I've decided to start an ONLY FANS! Yay! And with that we are finished! Now
you know everything you need to know about using WOULD RATHER and WOULD PREFER for the C1 Advanced
Cambridge exam! If you liked the video don't forget to SMASH that like button, subscribe if
you haven't already, leave a comment down below! My name is Toby and this was SMASH English...