Would rather and prefer both express a choice, but their grammar is different. Would rather takes the base verb with no to: "I would rather walk." Prefer takes a noun or an -ing form: "I prefer walking."
Would rather usually means a choice about now or the future: "I would rather stay home tonight." Prefer usually states a general taste: "I prefer tea to coffee."
This page shows all the patterns, the past form would rather have done, the person pattern with the past simple, and the mistakes with than and to. The drill has 20 sentences with a rule under every answer.
The rule
Would rather + base verb
- Form: would rather + base verb (no to): "I would rather take the train."
- The short form is I would = I'd: "I'd rather wait outside."
- The choice is usually about now or the near future, not a general habit.
- The negative adds not before the base verb: "I would rather not go."
Would rather someone did something
- When the two people are different, use the past simple after would rather: "I would rather you came tomorrow."
- The past form does not mean past time here. It shows that the speaker is not the doer.
- "I would rather you did not smoke in here" is a polite instruction.
- For the past, use would rather have done: "I would rather have stayed at home."
Prefer + noun, -ing or to-infinitive
- Prefer + noun: "I prefer tea."
- Prefer + -ing: "I prefer walking to driving."
- Prefer + to-infinitive: "I prefer to walk."
- The to-infinitive pattern is a little more formal or specific; the -ing pattern sounds more general.
Comparing with prefer and would rather
- Prefer compares with to, not than: "I prefer tea to coffee."
- Would rather compares with than + base verb: "I would rather walk than drive."
- Never write "prefer than" or "would rather to".
- You can also ask: "Would you rather walk or drive?" The answer repeats the base verb.
Would prefer
- Would prefer + to-infinitive: "I would prefer to sit near the window."
- Would prefer + noun: "I would prefer the window seat."
- Would prefer does not take the bare verb: "I would prefer sit" is wrong.
- The meaning is close to would rather, but the grammar follows prefer.
Examples
- I would rather stay at home tonight.Would rather + base verb for a choice now.
- I'd rather not talk about it.The negative puts not before the base verb.
- I would rather you came a little later.A different doer takes the past simple.
- She would rather have taken the earlier train.Would rather have done looks back at the past.
- I prefer coffee to tea.Prefer compares two nouns with to.
- He prefers reading to watching television.Prefer + -ing compares two activities.
- They prefer to travel by day.Prefer + to-infinitive states a specific preference.
- I would rather walk than wait for the bus.Would rather pairs with than, not to.
- Would you rather sit inside or outside?A question repeats the base verb after rather.
- I would prefer to pay by card.Would prefer takes a to-infinitive.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: I would rather to stay at home. Right: I would rather stay at home.
- Would rather takes the bare verb with no to.
- Wrong: I prefer tea than coffee. Right: I prefer tea to coffee.
- Prefer compares with to, not than.
- Wrong: I would rather walk to drive. Right: I would rather walk than drive.
- Would rather compares with than + base verb.
- Wrong: I would prefer sit by the window. Right: I would prefer to sit by the window.
- Would prefer takes a to-infinitive.
- Wrong: I would rather you come tomorrow. Right: I would rather you came tomorrow.
- A different doer after would rather takes the past simple form.
Practice drill
Answer all 20 questions. Each answer is marked at once, and the rule is explained under the question.
I would rather ___ at home tonight.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. stay Would rather takes the bare verb with no to.
I ___ coffee to tea.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. prefer Prefer compares with to, and it takes a noun phrase here.
She would rather ___ than drive.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. walk Would rather pairs with than + base verb.
I would rather you ___ quiet during the film.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. kept A different doer after would rather takes the past simple.
He prefers reading ___ cooking.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. to Prefer compares two activities with to.
I would prefer ___ by card.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. to pay Would prefer takes a to-infinitive.
Would you ___ sit inside or outside?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. rather Would rather asks about a choice between two options.
I would rather ___ the earlier train yesterday.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. have taken Would rather have done looks back at a past choice.
They prefer ___ by day.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. to travel Prefer + to-infinitive states the preference.
I would rather ___ about it now.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. not talk The negative puts not before the base verb after would rather.
She ___ walking to driving.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. prefers Prefer + -ing compares two activities with to.
I would rather walk ___ wait for the bus.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. than Would rather compares with than + base verb.
He would prefer ___ a window seat.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. to have Would prefer takes the to-infinitive.
I would rather ___ milk in my coffee.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. have Would rather is followed by the bare verb have.
I ___ stay home than go out tonight.
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Answer: C. would rather Would rather pairs with than + bare verb for a present choice.
I prefer ___ early in the morning.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. swimming Prefer + -ing states a general preference.
Would you rather I ___ the window?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. opened A different doer after would rather takes the past simple.
I would rather ___ that film on Friday.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. see Would rather takes the bare verb see.
She prefers tea ___ coffee in the morning.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. to Prefer compares two nouns with to.
I would rather you ___ smoke in the house.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. did not The negative with a different doer uses did not + base verb.
Questions learners ask
What is the difference between would rather and prefer?
Would rather expresses a choice at this moment: "I would rather eat now." Prefer expresses a general taste: "I prefer eating early." Both can compare options, but would rather uses than + base verb (rather walk than drive) and prefer uses to (prefer walking to driving).
Why does "I would rather you came" use the past?
The past form shows that the speaker is not the one doing the action. "I would rather come" means I come; "I would rather you came" means you come. The past simple after would rather is not about past time at all; it marks a different subject.
Is "would prefer" the same as "would rather"?
The meanings are close, but the grammar is different. Would prefer takes a to-infinitive or a noun: "I would prefer to wait", "I would prefer a table outside." Would rather takes the bare verb: "I would rather wait." Both are polite, and would prefer often sounds slightly softer.
More grammar topics
Had better: strong advice
A fixed phrase for strong advice: had better + base verb, had better not for warnings, and no to after better.
Would vs used to: past habits
Both describe the past, but would cannot describe states, and used to cannot repeat forever without a time frame.
Gerund after prepositions
Every verb after a preposition becomes an -ing form, including after two-word prepositions and the tricky to in look forward to.
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