Hi, in today’s lesson you will learn how to use prefer and would rather in English.
Keep watching until the end as there will be a short quiz to see how much you have learned.
So, let’s get started.
Firstly, let’s look at prefer.
When do you use prefer to do something and when do you use prefer doing something?
Well, you can say either to talk about what you prefer in general.
I don’t like running. I prefer to walk.
or I don’t like running. I prefer walking.
This has the same meaning.
But when we compare two things in the same sentence, we use these forms:
I prefer something to something else.
For example:
I prefer this shirt to the shirt you were wearing yesterday.
I prefer doing something to doing something else.
For example:
I prefer travelling by train to driving.
But when you say:
I prefer to do something, we have to say rather than do something else or rather than
something else and we can leave the verb out completely here if we want to.
For example:
I prefer to travel by train rather than drive.
or
Alice prefers to read a book rather than read a magazine. Or we can leave the verb out completely
and just say,
Alice prefers to read a book rather than a magazine.
Now let’s look at would prefer or as it is commonly abbreviated I’d prefer.
We use would prefer to say what somebody wants in a specific situation and not in a general situation.
For example: Would you prefer tea or coffee? Tea, please.
and we say
would prefer to do something and not doing something.
For example:
Shall we sit down? I’d prefer to dance thanks! ( not I’d prefer dancing)
or
and again when you compare 2 things in the same sentence we use rather than. For example:
I’d prefer to sleep at home rather than spend a night in a hotel bed.
Now let’s look at would rather or as it is commonly abbreviated, I’d rather.or we'd rather.
We say would rather do something and it means the same as would prefer to do something.
Notice with would prefer you need the to whereas with would rather there is no to.
For example:
Shall we drive? You can reply either: I’d prefer to go by train or I’d rather go by train.
Would you rather have tea or coffee? Tea please.
In the negative we say. I’d rather not do something.
For example:
I’m exhausted. I’d rather not go out this evening.
or
Do you want to speak to Jane? I’d rather not.
and we say,
would rather do something than do something else.
For example:
I would rather get a takeaway tonight than cook a meal.
Finally, let’s look at I’d rather you did something.
We say, I’d rather you did something, not I’d rather you do something.
For example:
Can I watch the movie? I’d rather you went to bed. ( I would prefer this)
I’ll buy the cake tomorrow, OK? I’d rather you bought it today.
and in the negative.
Are you going to tell them? No, I’d rather they didn’t know.
Notice that we use the past tense but the meaning is present, not past.
Compare these 2 sentences:
I’d rather make lunch now.
But
I’d rather you made lunch later.
Or in the negative,
I’d rather not tell her.
but
I’d rather you didn’t tell her.
OK, so now it’s your turn. Fill in the gaps with one of the structures you have seen in
this lesson.
1. I’d prefer to get a taxi ….. walk home.
rather than. When you compare 2 things in a sentence and use prefer to do something
we use rather than.
2. I’d rather listen to music …...
Here you could say than read. The important point is that it is than plus a verb with
no to.
3. Do you want me to leave now or would you rather I ….....................here?
write your answer down below in the comment section and I promise to give you feedback
on your answer.
OK, so that’s it for now. I hope you feel more confident in using prefer and would rather
in English. Remember to like this lesson if you found it useful, share it with your friends
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