Would rather

The expession is mainly applied in spoken English.

Form: Would rather + main verb

Example: I / you / he … they would rather read a novel than watch TV.

Short form: ‘d rather

Note: a noun can’t be used after ” would rather”.

Use: “Would rather” has the same meaning as prefer. It expresses some preference for something.

Notes:

The uses of “prefer” follow the forms below:

• Prefer + verb + “ing”    or      prefer +noun
• Would prefer to + main verb

Examples:

– I prefer reading a novel to watching a movie.

– I prefer reading to movies.

– I would prefer to read a novel to watch TV.

Two different people:

Form: would rather + subject + past tense

The meaning refers to the present or future despite the past tense.

Example: I would rather you joined us by car.

Good Luck!