I. Prefer to do / prefer doing
There are 3 options at your disposal:
a. Prefer something to something else
Ex: Samantha prefers tea to coffee.
b. Prefer doing something to doing something else
Ex: Samantha prefers waiting for people to being waited for.
c. Be careful! Prefer to do something rather than to do something else
Ex: Jim prefers to watch soccer rather than to play rugby.
II. Would prefer / would rather
Would prefer
Ex 1: “Would you prefer to come with us rather than to stay at home?”
Ex 2: “No, I’d prefer to stay at home rather than to go to the cinema”.
Negative form: I’d prefer not to do something
Ex 3: Jim would prefer not to tell Bill how he crashed his car if he can avoid it.
(Be careful: I’d prefer doing) (This form does not exist!!)
Would rather
a. Affirmative form: Would rather + base verbale (= inf. sans “to”)
Ex: Jim would rather go to the cinema
b. Negative form: Would rather not + base verbale
Ex: Jim would rather not go to the cinema
c. Interrogative form: Would + S+ rather + base verbale
Ex: Which book would you rather read this week?
d.
-Tim would rather go to the painting exhibition than go to the soccer game.
- We would rather go to Spain than stay in France.
-Would you rather go to the painting exhibition than study tonight?
e. I would rather = I would sooner
I’d rather go to spain than stay in France
I’d sooner die than marry him
f. I would rather you did something (The structure uses the past, but the meaning is present!)
Ex 1: I’d rather you stayed at home tonight
Ex 2: I’d rather you drove the car
Ex 3: Shall I tell them the truth or would you rather they didn’t know?
Compare 1:
-I’d rather do my homework now, so I’ll feel free to enjoy the rugby match tonight.
-I’d rather you did your homework now, so you’ll feel free to enjoy the rugby match tonight.
Compare 2:
I’d rather you didn’t spend Harry’s money = I’d prefer you not to spend Harry’s money
g. Using “would rather” (in a past context) when referring to something which did not happen.
Ex 1: George would rather have gone to Spain by plane rather than by train.
(George has gone to Spain already. He is in Spain, and he already took the train. In retrospect, he believes it would have been better for him to go my plane. “He wishes he had gone by plane”)
Ex 2: I’d rather have met the customers myself.
Compare: (I’d rather you / he / they / we etc.)
- I’d rather Steve did not lie to Paul about the car accident. (Preterit) (Present Context)
(It is not too late. Maybe Steve will not lie to Paul after all…)
- I’d rather Steve hadn’t lied to Paul about the car accident. (Past Perfect) (Past context)
(It is too late. Steve has already spoken to Paul about the car accident. And he has not told the truth!)
