Would Rather vs. Would Prefer
Both “would rather” and “would prefer” are used to express preferences between two or more options. While they have similar meanings, their grammar and usage are slightly different.
1. When do we use “would rather” and “would prefer”?
“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 expresses a more neutral or polite preference.
- It is followed by “to” + verb.
2. How to form “Would rather” and “Would prefer”?
“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.
3. Comparing “Would rather” vs. “Would prefer”
| Would Rather | Would Prefer | |
|---|---|---|
| More informal | More formal | |
| Would rather + base verb | Would prefer + to + verb | |
| Would rather + past simple | Would prefer + object + to + verb |
Examples:
- I would rather study in the morning. (More informal)
- I would prefer to study in the morning. (More polite)
- I would rather you studied in the morning. (Talking about someone else)
- I would prefer you to study in the morning. (Talking about someone else)
4. Common Mistakes and Tips
Wrong: I would rather to study online.
Correct: I would rather study online.
Wrong: I would prefer study online.
Correct: I would prefer to study online.
Wrong: I would rather you to study online.
Correct: I would rather you studied online.
Tips:
- Use “would rather” for informal speech and “would prefer” for polite situations.
- If the sentence has “than”, both structures can be used:
- I would rather study at home than go to school.
- I would prefer to study at home rather than go to school.
- When talking about others’ actions, use past simple after “would rather” and “object + to + verb” after “would prefer”.