Talking About

Preferences
PREFER
«PREFER» is used to talk about GENERAL & SPECIFIC
preferences.

 I prefer reading Notice that «prefer» takes both

books. gerund and infinitive.
 I prefer to read
books. OR
 I prefer books.
It can be used only with nouns.

Prefer + Ving general preference

Prefer + to infinitive (V1) specific preference in a specific situation.

 I prefer watching comedy General Preference
films.

 I prefer to watch a comedy Specific

Preference in a
right now, I want to cheer
specific situation
myself up.
«Prefer» is used in various forms to make comparisons

Prefer + noun + TO + noun

 I prefer books TO magazines.

 A child prefers his imaginary world TO
reality. The first
 Most people prefer Instagram TO Facebook. choice is
 I prefer ferry TO plane. the one
 He prefers video games TO sports. which is
preffered.
Prefer + Ving + TO + Ving

 I prefer reading books TO (reading) magazines.

 A child prefers living in his imaginary world TO getting bored
in reality.
 Most people prefer using Instgram TO (using) Facebook.
 I prefer going by ferry TO flying.
 Do you prefer cooking at home TO eating out?
 He prefers playing video games TO watching sports.
Prefer + to infinitive (V1) + RATHER
THAN + bare infinitive (V1)

 I prefer TO read books RATHER THAN (read) magazines.

 A child prefers TO live in his imaginary world RATHER THAN get bored in
reality.
 Most people prefer TO use Instagram RATHER THAN (use) Faecbook.
 I prefer TO go by ferry RATHER THAN (go) by plane.
 He prefers TO play video games RATHER THAN watch sports.

In negative form, we add “not

to/ not Ving” right after
“prefer”.
 I prefer not to live/not living in the city centre.
 She prefers not to wear/not wearing fake jewelery as she is
allergic.
I don’t prefer live/ living in the city centre.
She doesn’t prefer to wear/ wearing fake jewelery as she is
allergic.
 More Examples

 I prefer summer.
(specific meaning)
 I prefer to have summer holiday.
(general meaning)
 I prefer having summer holiday.

 I prefer Batman TO Superman.

(Prefer + noun + TO + noun)
 She prefers Rome TO Paris.

 I prefer speaking in English TO (speaking) in

(Prefer + Ving + TO + Ving)
French.
 She prefers eating fast-food TO cooking at
 My sister prefers TO wear earrings
home.
RATHER THAN (wear) necklaces. (Prefer + to infinitive + RATHER
THAN + bare infinitive)
 We prefer TO skii RATHER THAN
sunbathe.
WOULD
PREFER
«WOULD PREFER» is used to talk about SPECIFIC preferences.

At a restaurant

Waiter: What would you like to

drink?

Me: I would prefer coffee.

I’d / would prefer to have coffee.

Notice that «would prefer» takes to infinitive.

OR
It can be used only with nouns.
 «Would Prefer» is used in various forms to make
comparisons
Would prefer + to infinitive (V1) +
THAN + (to) infinitive (V1)

• I would prefer to have lunch with friends now THAN (to) play with my
brother.
• They would prefer to study for the exam THAN (to) go out.
• She would prefer to have a sandwich THAN ((to)have) salad.

Would prefer + to infinitive (V1) +

RATHER THAN + (to) infinitive (V1)

• I would prefer TO have lunch with friends now RATHER THAN (to) play with my
brother.
• They would prefer TO study for the exam RATHER THAN (to) go out.
• She would prefer TO have a sandwich RATHER THAN ((to) (have)) salad.
 In negative form, we add “not to
+ infinitive” right after “would
prefer”.

 I would prefer not to listen to music while I am doing my

homework.
 She would prefer not to tell the accident to her husband.

I wouldn’t prefer to listen to music while I am doing my homework.

WOULD
RATHER
«WOULD RATHER» is used to talk about general & specific
preferences.

 A: Shall we go by train?
B: I would rather go by car. specifi
c
 I would rather read a book THAN waste genera
my time checking my phone.
l
 «Would Rather» is used only in one form to make
comparisons
Would rather + bare infinitive (V1) +
THAN + bare infinitive (V1)

• We would rather go out THAN stay in.

• I would rather watch a good movie THAN sleep.
• She would rather be unemployed THAN do something she hates.
• I would rather drink orange juice THAN (drink) apple juice.

In negative form, we add “not +

bare infinitive” right after “would
rather”.
 I would rather not talk to you right now.
 He would rather not have a shower when
he is ill.

I wouldn’t rather talk to you right now.

 If the subject of the “would
rather” sentence and the doer of
the action is different from each
other, the form is «S + would
rather + Past simple».

I would rather you stayed here.

She would rather you didn’t phone after 10 pm.

He would rather I bought the tickets beforehand.

IN SHORT
  General(Ving) or Specific preferences (To infinitive) = (I prefer reading / I
prefer to stay at home)
Prefer  Prefer + noun + TO + noun = (I prefer horror films to
 comedies)
Prefer + Ving + TO + Ving = (I prefer watching horror films to
 (watching) comedies)
Prefer + to infinitive (V1) + RATHER THAN + bare
infinitive (V1)
I prefer to watch horror films rather than watch comedies.
 Specific preferences = (I would prefer coffee & I would prefer to have coffee)
Would
Prefer  Would Prefer + to V1 + THAN + (to) V1 = I would prefer to watch a
horror film than ((to) watch) a comedy.
 Would Prefer + to V1 + RATHER THAN + (to) V1 = I would prefer to
watch a horror film rather than ((to) watch) a comedy.

Would  General or Specific preferences = (I would rather walk

Rather (specific) / I would rather read a book THAN waste my time
surfing on the Internet. (general)
 would rather + bare infinitive (V1) + THAN + bare infinitive (V1) = (I
would rather watch a horror film than (watch) a comedy.)

 S+ Would Rather + S + past simple = (I would rather you didn’t turn a comedy on.)
LET’S
PRACTICE
Choose the best
answer
1. I prefer coffee __________ tea. 2. I don't fancy the theatre
again. I'd rather __________ to
a. to b. than c. from the cinema.

a. to b. go c. going

3. Although I love relaxing on

beaches, I think I prefer 4. If I had a choice I think I'd rather
__________ in the mountains. __________________ London.
a. live in Paris than (live) in
a. walk b. walking b. live in Paris to
c. to live in Paris than

5. They'd rather have lunch inside, but

I'd prefer ______________ outside in the
garden.

a. eat b. eating c. to eat

 Fill in the blanks with «would rather, prefer, or would
prefer»

Would rather
1. He 'd like to go to Canada whereas his wife …………………………go to Mexico.
Would prefer/
prefers
2. Her husband ………………………… to rent a house.
Would prefer/
3. Mrs Martin …………………………
prefers to stay in a hotel.
Would rather
4. I …………………………read than watch TV.
prefers
5. He ………………………… football to basketball.
prefer
6. They ………………………… driving to travelling.
prefers / would to live in a village rather than (live) a city.
7. She …………………………
prefer
Would prefer / to spend time with my family rather than surf on the Internet.
8. I …………………………
prefer
Would prefer
9. My brother ………………………… to do his homework on his own than to get help.
Rewrite the sentences.

1. I would rather do research on the dark matter than waste my time on the
String Theory. to do research on the dark matter than/rather than (to) waste my time on the
I would prefer String Theory.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

2. I would preferstay andand

to stay work atat
work the
theuniversity thanlook
university than lookfor
for a job
a job at at a tech
a tech company.
company.
I would rather
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
to prepare a pie-chart than/ rather than (to) show all the data
(to) do nothing. / opening the windows to turning on the air-
3. I prefer preparing a pie-chart to show all the data to doing nothing.
conditioner.
I would prefer
to open the windows rather than turn on the air-
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
conditioner.
4. I would rather open the windows than turn on the air-conditioner.

I prefer …………………………………………………………………………………………… /
 Make your choice. Which one do you prefer? Then, make a sentence using the
structures in the brackets.

1. Have a well-paying but a boring job or have a low-paying but fun job.
(prefer…to)
I prefer having a well-paying but a boring job to having a low-paying but
fun job.
I prefer a well-paid but boring job to a low-paying but fun job.
I prefer to have a well-paid but boring job rather than have a low-paying
2. Not
but know how to read or not know how to write (would
fun job.
rather…..than)
I would rather not know how to write than not know how to read.

3. Be thrown into a snake pit or be thrown into a spider pit. (would

prefer….than)
I would prefer to be thrown into a snake pit than (to) be thrown into a
spider pit.
4. Have Dumbledore as your grandad or have Gandalf as your grandad.
(prefer…to)
I prefer having Gandalf as my grandad to Dumbledore as my grandad.
I prefer Gandalf as my grandad to Dumbledore.
I prefer to have Gandalf as my grandad rather than (have) you as my
5. To have to kill the animal for any meat you eat or never eat meat again. (prefer…than)
I would prefer to never eat meat again than have to kill animals for any meat I eat

6. To sing everything you say or to dance all your movements. (would rather …than)
I would rather sing everything I say than dance all my
movements.
7. To be followed by 32 ducks for the rest of your life or have 4 meters long arms. (would
rather…than)
I would rather be followed by 32 ducks for the rest of my life than have 4 meters long
arms
8. To be tall but really skinny or to be buff and really short. (prefer…to)
I prefer being tall but really skinny to being buff and really short.

9. To be Batman or to be Ironman. (prefer…than)

I would prefer to be Ironman than be Batman
10. To go to prison for five years or to be punched in the face every hour of every day for
I would prefer to go to prison for five years than be
the next five years. (would prefer…than)
punched in the face every hour of every day for five
years.
11. To be lost in the woods at night or to be stuck in a haunted house at night. (would
I would rather be lost in the woods at night than be stuck in a haunted house at night.
rather…than)

I prefer being a member of my favorite band to being a character in my favorite video

Thanks!
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