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Preference in Grammar

Preference is an expression of what someone likes. There are several ways to express preference: 1. Using "prefer" followed by "to" and an infinitive or "-ing" form to compare two things or activities. 2. Using "would rather" followed by an infinitive without "to" to express a stronger preference between two options. 3. Using "would prefer" followed by "to" and an infinitive or a noun to express a preference. 4. Using "like" to talk about things someone enjoys or feels positive about. 5. Using "had better" followed by an infinitive without "to" to strongly suggest something that should be done to

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56 views

Preference in Grammar

Preference is an expression of what someone likes. There are several ways to express preference: 1. Using "prefer" followed by "to" and an infinitive or "-ing" form to compare two things or activities. 2. Using "would rather" followed by an infinitive without "to" to express a stronger preference between two options. 3. Using "would prefer" followed by "to" and an infinitive or a noun to express a preference. 4. Using "like" to talk about things someone enjoys or feels positive about. 5. Using "had better" followed by an infinitive without "to" to strongly suggest something that should be done to

Uploaded by

Sulfa Rais
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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PREFERENCE

Preference is an expression that express an option about something people


like. There are some ways to express preference i.e.:

1. Prefer
We use prefer to say we like one thing or activity more than another. We can use
a prepositional phrase with to when we compare two things or actions:
 I prefer tea to coffee.
 We prefer going by ferry to flying.
We can use a to-infinitive or an -ing form after prefer. A to-infinitive is more
common.
 She’s not keen on coffee. She prefers to drink tea. (or She prefers drinking
tea to coffee.)

When we speak about a specific preference, would rather and would prefer
have the same meaning and are interchangeable.

2. Would Rather
Would rather is followed by the infinitive without to.
 I'd rather have fruit juice.
 I’d rather walk than drive.
 I would rather leave him than cry for him.

We use a past tense after would rather when we speak about the actions of other
people, even though that action may be in the present or future.

 I'd rather you took a taxi (instead of walking) – it's not safe on the streets at
night.
 The film is quite violent. I'd rather our children didn't watch it.
3. Would Prefer
Would prefer is followed by to + infinitive or a noun.
 I'd prefer to drink coffee.
 I'd prefer green tea
 It's such nice weather – I'd prefer to sit in the garden rather than watch TV.
 I’d prefer red shirt rather than blue blouse.
4. Like
We can use like to talk about things or people which we enjoy or feel positive
about.
 I like meatballs better than soup.
 She likes shopping better than cooking.
5. Had Better
We use had better to refer to the present or the future, to talk about actions
we think people should do or which are desirable in a specific situation. The verb
form is always had, not have. We normally shorten it to ’d better in informal
situations. It is followed by the infinitive without to:
 It’s five o’clock. I’d better go now before the traffic gets too bad.
Had better is a strong expression. We use it if we think there will be
negative results if someone does not do what is desired or suggested:
 She’d better get here soon or she’ll miss the opening ceremony.

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