Using Prefer and Rather
If you are asked: Do you know the usage of prefer and rather?, what would your answer be?
If you use prefer to indicate preference,you should say: I'd prefer to........ For example: I'd prefer to drink coffee for breakfast.
If you use rather to indicate preference, you should say: I'd rather ......... For example: I'd rather drink coffee for breakfast.
Therefore, if prefer is used, the word "to" must be included just before the action verb "drink". If rather is used, "to" must be dropped. It is incorrect to say: I'd rather to drink coffee for breakfast.
(note that I'd is the contraction form of I would)
Prefer may also be used to indicate a person's better choice. For example: You like coffee better than tea. You can say: I prefer coffee to tea. Note that in this kind of sentence construction, you must not begin with I'd (I would). Begin with I prefer then followed immediately by the noun. Take note that you can never replace prefer with rather.
It is incorrect to say: I rather coffee to tea.
More examples:
She prefers cakes to biscuits. They prefer fish to beef.
Now read this sentence.
Tom prefers swimming than jogging.
This sentence conveys the idea that Tom has two hobbies, but he likes to swim more than jog.
Some English users would say that this sentence sounds perfectly correct. However, there is an error in it. Can you tell where the error is?
Refer to this earlier example. I prefer coffee to tea. NOT I prefer coffee than tea. Therefore the error is the word "than". The correct version should be :"Tom prefers swimming to jogging."
Why must we not use "than"? It's because swimming and jogging are gerunds or verbal nouns, not adjectives. "than" can used in sentences that show comparison. For examples:
Henry is taller than his friend, Peter. Jane looks prettier than Lucy.
(taller - comparative form of tall) (prettier - comparative form of pretty)
Prefer and rather may also be used in negative sentences which have the word not in them. You must begin your sentences with "I'd". For examples:
I'd prefer to eat spicy food. (positive sentence)
I'd prefer not to eat spicy food. (negative sentence)
Fred would prefer to take the morning flight. (positive sentence)
Fred would prefer not to take the morning flight. (negative sentence)
Rather may also be used in both positive and negative sentences. Take note that the word "to" must be dropped. For examples:
I'd rather eat the biscuits. (positive sentence)
I'd rather not eat the biscuits. (negative sentence)
Sharon would rather go jogging with her friends. (positive sentence)
Sharon would rather not go jogging with her friends. (negative sentence)
Rather may also be used in sentences to indicate a person's better choice.
For example: You like to sing more than read when you are free. You can use I'd rather with the word "than" in your sentence like this:
I'd rather sing than read when I'm free.
For some English users who do not want to use prefer or rather in their English sentences, they may simply use the verb "like" to show preference or their better choice. When "like" is used, the phrase "better than" or "more than" can be used in the same sentence. For examples:
Instead of saying: "I prefer coffee to tea", some English users say:
I like coffee better than tea. OR I like coffee more than tea.
Read this sentence which was stated above earlier.
Tom prefers swimming to jogging. How would you reconstruct this sentence using the verb "like"? Try your reconstruction of the sentence without scrolling down for the answer.
Click on "vocabulary" for more words and phrases.
Tom likes swimming better than jogging/Tom likes swimming more than jogging/Tom likes to swim more than jog.
If you use prefer to indicate preference,you should say: I'd prefer to........ For example: I'd prefer to drink coffee for breakfast.
If you use rather to indicate preference, you should say: I'd rather ......... For example: I'd rather drink coffee for breakfast.
Therefore, if prefer is used, the word "to" must be included just before the action verb "drink". If rather is used, "to" must be dropped. It is incorrect to say: I'd rather to drink coffee for breakfast.
(note that I'd is the contraction form of I would)
Prefer may also be used to indicate a person's better choice. For example: You like coffee better than tea. You can say: I prefer coffee to tea. Note that in this kind of sentence construction, you must not begin with I'd (I would). Begin with I prefer then followed immediately by the noun. Take note that you can never replace prefer with rather.
It is incorrect to say: I rather coffee to tea.
More examples:
She prefers cakes to biscuits. They prefer fish to beef.
Now read this sentence.
Tom prefers swimming than jogging.
This sentence conveys the idea that Tom has two hobbies, but he likes to swim more than jog.
Some English users would say that this sentence sounds perfectly correct. However, there is an error in it. Can you tell where the error is?
Refer to this earlier example. I prefer coffee to tea. NOT I prefer coffee than tea. Therefore the error is the word "than". The correct version should be :"Tom prefers swimming to jogging."
Why must we not use "than"? It's because swimming and jogging are gerunds or verbal nouns, not adjectives. "than" can used in sentences that show comparison. For examples:
Henry is taller than his friend, Peter. Jane looks prettier than Lucy.
(taller - comparative form of tall) (prettier - comparative form of pretty)
Prefer and rather may also be used in negative sentences which have the word not in them. You must begin your sentences with "I'd". For examples:
I'd prefer to eat spicy food. (positive sentence)
I'd prefer not to eat spicy food. (negative sentence)
Fred would prefer to take the morning flight. (positive sentence)
Fred would prefer not to take the morning flight. (negative sentence)
Rather may also be used in both positive and negative sentences. Take note that the word "to" must be dropped. For examples:
I'd rather eat the biscuits. (positive sentence)
I'd rather not eat the biscuits. (negative sentence)
Sharon would rather go jogging with her friends. (positive sentence)
Sharon would rather not go jogging with her friends. (negative sentence)
Rather may also be used in sentences to indicate a person's better choice.
For example: You like to sing more than read when you are free. You can use I'd rather with the word "than" in your sentence like this:
I'd rather sing than read when I'm free.
For some English users who do not want to use prefer or rather in their English sentences, they may simply use the verb "like" to show preference or their better choice. When "like" is used, the phrase "better than" or "more than" can be used in the same sentence. For examples:
Instead of saying: "I prefer coffee to tea", some English users say:
I like coffee better than tea. OR I like coffee more than tea.
Read this sentence which was stated above earlier.
Tom prefers swimming to jogging. How would you reconstruct this sentence using the verb "like"? Try your reconstruction of the sentence without scrolling down for the answer.
Click on "vocabulary" for more words and phrases.
Tom likes swimming better than jogging/Tom likes swimming more than jogging/Tom likes to swim more than jog.
By Susan L
On 12/15/2009 07:17:00 PM
1 Comment(s)
View More Articles... On 12/15/2009 07:17:00 PM
1 Comment(s)
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Wednesday, December 16, 2009 12:26:00 AM
Very informative and well-written. I have come across some people who speak very fluent professional-style English who still make this mistake. ~ by Josh Tam