Would Rather vs. Would Prefer

⏰ When do we use?

“Would rather” is more informal and often used in spoken English.

• It expresses a stronger or more personal preference.
• It is followed by the base form of the verb (without “to”).

“Would prefer” is slightly more formal and is often used in written English or polite requests.

It is followed by “to” + verb.

It expresses a more neutral or polite preference.

📌 Structure

“Would rather”

Structure:

• Subject + would rather + base verb
• Subject + would rather + object + past simple (for preferences about other people’s actions)

Examples:

I would rather study with a teacher than study alone.

She would rather take an online course than go to a physical school.

He would rather you practiced speaking more.

When talking about someone else’s actions, we use the past simple:

I would rather you studied at the library instead of at home.

“Would prefer”

Structure:

• Subject + would prefer + to + base verb
• Subject + would prefer + object + to + base verb

Examples:

I would prefer to study with a teacher instead of alone.

She would prefer to take an online course rather than a face-to-face class.

He would prefer you to practice speaking more.

When talking about someone else’s actions, we use “object + to + verb”:

I would prefer you to study at the library instead of at home.

Comparing “Would rather” vs. “Would prefer”