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Expressing Preference

This document discusses different ways to express preferences in English using verbs like prefer, would prefer, would rather, and had better. It provides examples of how to use these verbs with different structures like noun phrases, gerunds, infinitives, and clauses. Key points covered include: - Prefer takes a noun + to + noun structure to compare two options. - Would prefer is used for specific preferences and can take an infinitive or clause. - Would rather/sooner compare two options using a bare infinitive or perfect infinitive for the same subject, and past tense/past perfect for different subjects. - Had better is used to give advice and takes a bare infinitive, expressing a stronger

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65 views1 page

Expressing Preference

This document discusses different ways to express preferences in English using verbs like prefer, would prefer, would rather, and had better. It provides examples of how to use these verbs with different structures like noun phrases, gerunds, infinitives, and clauses. Key points covered include: - Prefer takes a noun + to + noun structure to compare two options. - Would prefer is used for specific preferences and can take an infinitive or clause. - Would rather/sooner compare two options using a bare infinitive or perfect infinitive for the same subject, and past tense/past perfect for different subjects. - Had better is used to give advice and takes a bare infinitive, expressing a stronger

Uploaded by

mevaibz9360
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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EXPRESSING PREFERENCE

PREFER: = to talk about general preferences


+ Noun +TO + Noun : I prefer coffee to tea
+ -ING Form + TO + ING Form :

I prefer skiing to swimming

+ TO Infinitive + RATHER THAN + Bare Infinitive : I prefer to eat fish rather than (eat) meat

WOULD PREFER = To talk about specific preference


+ TO Infinitive : Would you like to have a cup of coffee? Id prefer to have some water.
Another clause can be introduced by rather than + bare infinitive :
Hed prefer to stay at home rather than drive to the restaurant
Prefer takes an object when we want to introduce a new subject: I would prefer her to stay at home

WOULD RATHER/SOONER
SAME SUBJECT :
followed by the bare infinitive: I'd rather play football than golf but I prefer football to golf
Or the Perfect Infinitive: I'd rather have stayed at home
DIFFERENT SUBJECT:
Use a Past Tense with present or future meaning: Shall I open the window? I'd rather you didn't
Use a Past Perfect with past meaning: I'd rather you hadn't called him old

HAD BETTER + Bare Infinitive (= should/ought)


You had/'d better book your flight early
I'd better not take out a loan; I won't be able to pay it back
This structure is used to give advice or to say what the best thing to do in a particular situation is.
Had better is more emphatic than Should or Ought to but it is not as emphatic as Must
You must see a lawyer (strong advice)
You had better see a lawyer (less emphatic than "Must")
You should/ought to see a lawyer (even less emphatic)

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