Would Rather: How to Use It and What It Means
Introduction
Have you ever wanted to express your preference for one thing over another? Maybe you wanted to say that you like chocolate more than vanilla, or that you prefer staying at home to going out. In English, there are many ways to do that, but one of the most common and useful ones is using would rather.
would rather
In this article, we will explain what would rather means, how to use it correctly in different situations, and how it compares to another similar expression: would prefer. By the end of this article, you will be able to use would rather confidently and naturally in your own speech and writing.
What is would rather?
Would rather is a modal expression that is used to show a preference for one thing over another. It can also be abbreviated to 'd rather. For example:
I would rather eat fish tonight.
She 'd rather play tennis than sit here.
They would rather drink tea than cola.
In these sentences, would rather means would prefer. You could also say:
would rather questions for couples
would rather game online
would you rather scenarios for kids
would you rather be rich or famous
would you rather have a dog or a cat
would you rather travel to the past or the future
would you rather be able to fly or breathe underwater
would you rather live in a city or a country
would you rather eat pizza or burgers
would you rather watch a movie or read a book
would you rather be invisible or telepathic
would you rather go skiing or surfing
would you rather have super strength or super speed
would you rather be a vampire or a werewolf
would you rather be smart or beautiful
would you rather have more time or more money
would you rather speak every language or play every instrument
would you rather be a hero or a villain
would you rather have a tattoo or a piercing
would you rather lose your sight or your hearing
would you rather work from home or in an office
would you rather be a teacher or a student
would you rather have a big family or a small one
would you rather be famous or anonymous
would you rather be a leader or a follower
would you rather drink coffee or tea
would you rather wear jeans or shorts
would you rather listen to music or podcasts
would you rather cook or order food
would you rather play video games or board games
would you rather go camping or stay in a hotel
would you rather have a pet snake or a pet spider
would you rather learn to dance or sing
would you rather have a lot of friends or a few close ones
would you rather be an early bird or a night owl
would you rather drive a car or ride a bike
would you rather swim in a pool or in the ocean
would you rather have chocolate or vanilla ice cream
would you rather go to the beach or the mountains
would you rather have curly or straight hair
would you rather be allergic to peanuts or gluten
would you rather watch Netflix or YouTube
would you rather have a shower or a bath
would you rather wear glasses or contacts
would you rather go to the gym or do yoga
would you rather have a sweet tooth or a salty one
would you rather be good at math or art
would you rather have a lot of tattoos or none at all
I would prefer to eat fish tonight.
She would prefer to play tennis than sit here.
They would prefer to drink tea than cola.
The meaning is the same, but would rather is more common and informal than would prefer.
How to use would rather with the same subject
When the subject is the same person in both clauses, we use would rather (not) followed by the base form of the verb (without to). This happens when we talk about what we (or someone else) would prefer to do. For example:
We would rather go on Monday.
I would rather not fly. I hate planes.
He 'd rather stay with you.
How to use would rather with a different subject
When the subjects of the two clauses are different, we often use the past simple or the past perfect after would rather. This happens when we talk about what we want someone else (or ourselves) to do or have done. For example:
I would rather they did something about it instead of just talking about it. (past simple to talk about the present or future)
I 'd rather you hadn't rung me at work. (past perfect to talk about the past)
Mum would rather I lived near her. (past simple to talk about the present or future)
Note that using the past tense after would rather does not change the meaning or the time of the action. It is just a way of being more polite or hypothetical. How to use would rather in the past
Sometimes, we want to express a preference for something that did not happen in the past. In this case, we use would rather have followed by the past participle of the verb. For example:
I would rather have stayed at home last night. (But I went out)
She 'd rather have married someone else. (But she married him)
They would rather have bought a new car. (But they bought a used one)
How to use much rather for emphasis
If we want to emphasize our preference, we can use much before would rather. This makes our choice stronger and clearer. For example:
I much rather watch a movie than read a book.
He 'd much rather be alone than with you.
She much rather have a dog than a cat.
How to use I'd rather not for refusal
A common way to refuse an offer or a suggestion is to say I'd rather not. This is a polite way of saying no, thank you. For example:
A: Do you want to go out with me? B: I 'd rather not, sorry.
A: Do you mind if I smoke? B: I 'd rather you didn't.
A: Can you help me with this? B: I 'd rather not, I'm busy.
Would rather vs. would prefer
As we have seen, would rather and would prefer are both used to show a preference for one thing over another. However, there are some differences between them in terms of form and usage. Let's see them in more detail.
What is the difference between would rather and would prefer?
The main difference between would rather and would prefer is that would prefer is followed by to + infinitive, while would rather is followed by the base form of the verb (without to). For example:
I would prefer to stay at home tonight. (NOT I would prefer stay at home tonight.)
I would rather stay at home tonight. (NOT I would rather to stay at home tonight.)
The only exception is when we use a noun or a pronoun after would prefer. In this case, we don't need to use to. For example:
I would prefer coffee, please. (NOT I would prefer to coffee, please.)
I would prefer him over anyone else. (NOT I would prefer to him over anyone else.)
How to use would prefer with the same subject
If we want to talk about what we (or someone else) would prefer to do, we can use either would prefer to + infinitive (with the same subject in both clauses) orwould prefer + noun/pronoun (with different subjects in the two clauses). For example:
We would prefer to go on Monday.
I would prefer coffee (over tea).
Mum'd prefer me (over my brother).
You'd prefer him (over me).
I'd prefer it (over anything else).
We'd prefer them (over us).
You'd prefer us (over them).
I'd prefer that (over this).
We'd prefer this (over that).
How to use would prefer with a different subject
If we want to talk about what we want someone else (or ourselves) to do, we can use would prefer + object + to + infinitive. For example:
I would prefer them to leave now.
She 'd prefer you to call her later.
He would prefer me to stay with him.
How to use would prefer in the past
If we want to express a preference for something that did not happen in the past, we can use would have preferred + to + infinitive. For example:
I would have preferred to stay at home last night. (But I went out)
She 'd have preferred to marry someone else. (But she married him)
They would have preferred to buy a new car. (But they bought a used one)
How to use prefer and would rather for general preferences
If we want to talk about our general preferences, not related to a specific situation, we can use either prefer + -ing form (without would) orwould rather + base form (with or without would). For example:
I prefer reading books. (OR I would rather read books.)
She prefers listening to music. (OR She would rather listen to music.)
He prefers playing games. (OR He would rather play games.)
Conclusion
In this article, we have learned how to use would rather and would prefer to express our preferences in English. We have seen that they are both very common and useful expressions, but they have some differences in terms of form and usage. Here is a summary of the main points:
Would rather is followed by the base form of the verb (without to) when the subject is the same person in both clauses, and by the past simple or the past perfect when the subjects are different.
Would prefer is followed by to + infinitive (with the same subject in both clauses) or+ noun/pronoun (with different subjects in the two clauses).
Would rather have andwould have preferred are used to express a preference for something that did not happen in the past.
Much rather is used for emphasis andI'd rather not is used for refusal.
Prefer + -ing form (without would) andwould rather + base form (with or without would) are used for general preferences.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about would rather and would prefer:
Can I use would rather and would prefer interchangeably?
In some cases, yes. For example, you can say either "I would rather eat fish tonight" or "I would prefer to eat fish tonight". However, in other cases, no. For example, you cannot say "I would prefer eat fish tonight" or "I would rather to eat fish tonight". You need to pay attention to the form and usage of each expression.
Can I use other modals with would rather and would prefer?
No, you cannot. You cannot say "I could rather eat fish tonight" or "I should prefer to eat fish tonight". You can only use would (or its contraction'd ) with these expressions.
Can I use a question mark after would rather and would prefer?
In some cases, yes. For example, you can say "Would you rather go out or stay in?" or "Would you prefer to go out or stay in?" as questions. However, in other cases, no. For example, you cannot say "I would rather go out?" or "I would prefer to go out?" as questions. You need to use a statement or a suggestion instead.
Can I use would rather and would prefer in the negative?
Yes, you can. You can use not after would (or before 'd ) to make a negative preference. For example, you can say "I would not rather eat fish tonight" or "I'd not prefer to eat fish tonight". However, it is more common and natural to use would rather not orwould prefer not instead. For example, you can say "I would rather not eat fish tonight" or "I would prefer not to eat fish tonight".
Can I use other words instead of rather and prefer?
Yes, you can. There are other words and expressions that can show a preference in English, such as like, love, enjoy, fancy, want, wish, hope, choose, decide, etc. However, they have different meanings and usages, so you need to be careful with them. For example, you can say "I like fish more than meat" or "I love fish more than meat", but you cannot say "I would like fish more than meat" or "I would love fish more than meat". You need to use would rather or would prefer for that.
I hope this article has helped you understand how to use would rather and would prefer correctly and confidently in English. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below. Thank you for reading and happy learning! 44f88ac181