Unit V expressing preferences

EXPRESSING PREFERENCE


PREFER: + Noun +TO + Noun : I prefer coffee to tea
+ -ING Form + TO + ING Form : I prefer skiing to swimming. = to talk about general preferences
+ TO Infinitive + RATHER THAN + Bare Infinitive : I prefer to eat fish rather than (eat) meat to talk about general preferences



WOULD PREFER + TO Infinitive : Would you like to have a cup of coffee? I’d prefer to have some water. = To talk about specific preference
♪ Another clause can be introduced by rather than + bare infinitive : He’d 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)