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:
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!