Prefer vs Would Rather: How to Express Your Preferences in English
Do you know how to say what you like or dislike in English? Do you know how to choose between different options or alternatives? Do you know how to influence other people's decisions or actions? If you want to learn how to do all these things, you need to know how to use prefer and would rather. These two expressions are very common and useful when we want to express our preferences in English. But they are not exactly the same, and they have different rules and structures. In this article, we will explain the difference between prefer and would rather, and show you how to use them correctly in various situations.
prefer would rather
Introduction
What is the difference between prefer and would rather?
The main difference between prefer and would rather is that prefer can be used to talk about both general and specific preferences, while would rather can only be used to talk about specific preferences. Also, prefer can be used to express a preference on something, while would rather can be used to express a preference on something or someone else's actions.
Prefer: general and specific preferences
We use prefer when we want to say that we like something more than something else, or that we choose something over something else. We can use it to talk about our general preferences, which are true for any time or situation, or our specific preferences, which are true for a particular time or situation. For example:
I prefer tea to coffee. (general preference)
I prefer reading books to watching TV. (general preference)
I prefer going out tonight to staying at home. (specific preference)
I prefer this dress to that one. (specific preference)
Would rather: specific preferences and other people's actions
We use would rather when we want to say that we want something more than something else, or that we choose something over something else. We can only use it to talk about our specific preferences, which are true for a particular time or situation. We can also use it to express what we want other people to do or not do. For example:
I would rather stay at home tonight than go out. (specific preference)
I would rather have pizza than pasta. (specific preference)
I would rather you didn't smoke in here. (other person's action)
I would rather he called me before he came. (other person's action)
How to use prefer and would rather correctly
The verb forms after prefer and would rather
The verb forms that follow prefer and would rather are different. We need to pay attention to the verb forms because they affect the meaning and the grammar of the sentences.
Prefer + -ing / to + infinitive / noun
We can use three different verb forms after prefer: -ing, to + infinitive, or noun. The meaning is the same, but the grammar is different. Here are some examples:
I prefer drinking tea to drinking coffee. (-ing form)
I prefer to drink tea rather than drink coffee. (to + infinitive)
I prefer tea to coffee. (noun)
I prefer walking to work to taking the bus. (-ing form)
I prefer to walk to work instead of taking the bus. (to + infinitive)
I prefer a walk to work to a bus ride. (noun)
Would rather + bare infinitive / past tense
We can use two different verb forms after would rather: bare infinitive or past tense. The meaning is different, depending on whether we are talking about ourselves or other people. Here are some examples:
I would rather stay at home tonight. (bare infinitive, talking about myself)
I would rather you stayed at home tonight. (past tense, talking about you)
I would rather he went with us. (past tense, talking about him)
I would rather not speak to him right now. (bare infinitive, talking about myself)
I would rather she didn't speak to him right now. (past tense, talking about her)
I would rather they were here. (past tense, talking about them)
The prepositions after prefer and would rather
The prepositions that follow prefer and would rather are also different. We need to pay attention to the prepositions because they affect the meaning and the style of the sentences.
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Prefer + to / rather than / instead of
We can use three different prepositions after prefer: to, rather than, or instead of. The meaning is the same, but the style is different. To is the most common and neutral preposition, while rather than and instead of are more formal and emphatic. Here are some examples:
I prefer tea to coffee. (neutral)
I prefer tea rather than coffee. (formal)
I prefer tea instead of coffee. (formal)
I prefer to walk to work to taking the bus. (neutral)
I prefer to walk to work rather than take the bus. (formal)
I prefer to walk to work instead of taking the bus. (formal)
Would rather + than / instead of
We can use two different prepositions after would rather: than or instead of. The meaning is the same, but the style is different. Than is the most common and neutral preposition, while instead of is more formal and emphatic. Here are some examples:
I would rather stay at home tonight than go out. (neutral)
I would rather stay at home tonight instead of going out. (formal)
I would rather have pizza than pasta. (neutral)
I would rather have pizza instead of pasta. (formal)
I would rather you didn't smoke in here than have to leave. (neutral)
I would rather you didn't smoke in here instead of having to leave. (formal)
The abbreviations of prefer and would rather
We can also use abbreviations of prefer and would rather in informal speech and writing. We can use 'd prefer' or 'd rather' instead of 'would prefer' or 'would rather'. The meaning and the grammar are the same, but the style is more casual and friendly. Here are some examples:
I'd prefer tea to coffee.
I'd rather stay at home tonight.
I'd prefer not to talk about it.
I'd rather you were honest with me.
I'd prefer a window seat, please.
I'd rather not go there again.
Conclusion
Summary of the main points
In this article, we have learned how to use prefer and would rather to express our preferences in English. We have seen that:
Prefer can be used to talk about both general and specific preferences, while would rather can only be used to talk about specific preferences.
Prefer can be used to express a preference on something, while would rather can be used to express a preference on something or someone else's actions.
The verb forms after prefer and would rather are different. Prefer can be followed by -ing, to + infinitive, or noun, while would rather can be followed by bare infinitive or past tense.
The prepositions after prefer and would rather are different. Prefer can be followed by to, rather than, or instead of, while would rather can be followed by than or instead of.
The abbreviations of prefer and would rather are 'd prefer and 'd rather. They are used in informal speech and writing.
We hope you have found this article helpful and informative. Now you can confidently use prefer and would rather to express your preferences in English. Remember to practice using them in different situations and contexts. Happy learning!
FAQs
What is the difference between prefer and like?
Prefer and like are both verbs that can be used to express our feelings or opinions about something or someone. However, prefer is used to compare two or more things or people and say which one we like more, while like is used to say that we enjoy or have a positive feeling about something or someone. For example:
I like chocolate. (I enjoy chocolate)
I prefer dark chocolate to milk chocolate. (I like dark chocolate more than milk chocolate)
I like him. (I have a positive feeling about him)
I prefer him to her. (I like him more than her)
Can I use would prefer instead of would rather?
Yes, you can use would prefer instead of would rather in some cases, but not always. Would prefer is more formal and polite than would rather, and it can be followed by -ing, to + infinitive, or noun, just like prefer. However, would prefer cannot be used to express what we want other people to do or not do. For example:
I would prefer staying at home tonight. (same as I would rather stay at home tonight)
I would prefer not to talk about it. (same as I would rather not talk about it)
I would prefer you to stay at home tonight. (NOT same as I would rather you stayed at home tonight)
I would prefer him not to smoke in here. (NOT same as I would rather he didn't smoke in here)
How do I use had better instead of would rather?
You can use had better instead of would rather when you want to give advice or warn someone about something. Had better is more strong and urgent than would rather, and it implies that there will be negative consequences if the advice is not followed. Had better is always followed by bare infinitive. For example:
You had better study hard for the exam. (If you don't study hard, you will fail the exam)
You would rather study hard for the exam. (You want to study hard for the exam)
You had better not drink too much tonight. (If you drink too much, you will have a hangover tomorrow)
You would rather not drink too much tonight. (You don't want to drink too much tonight)
How do I use would sooner instead of would rather?
You can use would sooner instead of would rather when you want to emphasize your preference or choice. Would sooner is more informal and emphatic than would rather, and it can be followed by bare infinitive or past tense, just like would rather. However, would sooner is less common and more British than would rather. For example:
I would sooner stay at home tonight. (same as I would rather stay at home tonight, but more emphatic)
I would sooner not talk about it. (same as I would rather not talk about it, but more emphatic)
I would sooner you stayed at home tonight. (same as I would rather you stayed at home tonight, but more emphatic)
I would sooner he didn't smoke in here. (same as I would rather he didn't smoke in here, but more emphatic)
How do I use preferential instead of prefer?
You can use preferential instead of prefer when you want to describe something that is given or shown to someone or something over others. Preferential is an adjective that means favoring one person or thing more than others, especially in an unfair way. Prefer is a verb that means to like or choose one person or thing more than others. For example:
He has a preferential treatment at work. (He is given or shown more advantages or benefits than others at work)
He prefers to work from home. (He likes or chooses to work from home more than other options)
They have a preferential rate for the hotel room. (They are offered or charged a lower price for the hotel room than others)
They prefer the hotel room with a sea view. (They like or choose the hotel room with a sea view more than other rooms)
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