PREFER = preferencia general o habitual: "I prefer tea to coffee" / "I prefer working from home." WOULD RATHER = preferencia en este momento o entre dos opciones: "I would rather stay in tonight" / "I'd rather take the train than fly." WOULD RATHER + bare infinitivo (sin TO). PREFER puede llevar TO + infinitivo O -ING segun la estructura.
PREFER: (1) PREFER + -ING (gerundio): preferencia general de dos actividades. "She prefers working independently." "The client prefers receiving updates by email." (2) PREFER + -ING + TO + -ING: comparacion explicita. "I prefer walking to driving" = prefiero caminar a conducir. (3) PREFER + TO + infinitivo: posible pero menos comun que -ING. "I prefer to work from home." (4) PREFER + sustantivo + TO + sustantivo: "I prefer tea to coffee." La PREPOSICION de comparacion en PREFER = TO (no THAN). "I prefer tea THAN coffee" = INCORRECTO. "I prefer tea TO coffee" = correcto. PREFER en presente simple = preferencia habitual/general. PREFER en presente continuo ("I am preferring") = casi nunca se usa — PREFER es un verbo estativo. WOULD PREFER: preferencia en el momento. "I would prefer to take the train" = WOULD PREFER + TO + infinitivo (con TO, no bare infinitive). "I'd prefer to stay" = correcto.
Most senior partners in the firm prefer to conduct high-stakes negotiations in person rather than by video call, as they find that face-to-face interaction provides significantly better opportunities to read non-verbal communication.
La mayoria de los socios seniores de la empresa prefieren realizar negociaciones de alto riesgo en persona en lugar de por videollamada, ya que consideran que la interaccion cara a cara proporciona oportunidades significativamente mejores para interpretar la comunicacion no verbal.
The organization has found that its clients generally prefer receiving a concise executive summary to reading the full technical report, though the detailed documentation is always made available for those who wish to review it.
La organizacion ha comprobado que sus clientes generalmente prefieren recibir un resumen ejecutivo conciso a leer el informe tecnico completo, aunque la documentacion detallada esta siempre disponible para quienes deseen revisarla.
Personally, I would prefer to defer the final decision until we have received the independent legal opinion that was commissioned last week, as committing to a course of action without that input carries an unnecessary level of risk.
Personalmente, preferiria aplazar la decision final hasta que hayamos recibido el dictamen juridico independiente que se encargo la semana pasada, ya que comprometerse con un curso de accion sin esa aportacion conlleva un nivel de riesgo innecesario.
WOULD RATHER: (1) WOULD RATHER + bare infinitivo (sin TO): preferencia en el momento, especialmente entre alternativas. "I would rather stay." "She'd rather not attend." "We would rather discuss this in person." (2) WOULD RATHER + bare infinitivo + THAN + bare infinitivo: comparacion explicita entre dos opciones. "I would rather take the train THAN fly." "She would rather send an email THAN make a phone call." (3) WOULD RATHER + sujeto + pasado simple (para expresar preferencia sobre lo que hace OTRA persona): "I would rather you submitted the report today" = prefiero que lo envies hoy (pasado subjuntivo — no "I would rather you submit"). "I'd rather you didn't mention this to the press" = preferiria que no lo mencionaras. (4) HAD RATHER: forma arcaica equivalente a WOULD RATHER, casi desaparecida del ingles moderno. FORMA NEGATIVA: WOULD RATHER NOT: "I'd rather not discuss this now." FORMA INTERROGATIVA: "Would you rather...?" (preguntas de eleccion).
Given the sensitivity of the information involved, the committee would rather discuss the matter in a closed session restricted to board members only, rather than in the open forum that had originally been scheduled.
Dada la sensibilidad de la informacion implicada, el comite preferiria debatir el asunto en una sesion cerrada restringida unicamente a los miembros del consejo, en lugar de en el foro abierto que se habia programado originalmente.
I would rather you coordinated directly with the client team to agree the revised project timeline, as this would allow the specific constraints on both sides to be discussed and accommodated more efficiently than through an intermediary.
Preferiria que te coordinaras directamente con el equipo del cliente para acordar el calendario del proyecto revisado, ya que esto permitiria que las limitaciones especificas de ambas partes se discutieran y acomodaran de forma mas eficiente que a traves de un intermediario.
Would you rather present the full methodology section to the steering group and then address the financial implications, or would you prefer to lead with the cost-benefit analysis and cover the technical details subsequently?
¿Preferirias presentar la seccion completa de metodologia al grupo directivo y luego abordar las implicaciones financieras, o preferirias empezar con el analisis de coste-beneficio y tratar los detalles tecnicos posteriormente?
Error frecuente
LOS ERRORES MAS FRECUENTES: (1) WOULD RATHER + TO + infinitivo: "I would rather to stay" = INCORRECTO. WOULD RATHER + bare infinitive (sin TO). "I would rather stay" = correcto. (2) PREFER + THAN: "I prefer tea than coffee" = INCORRECTO. PREFER usa TO para la comparacion: "I prefer tea TO coffee." WOULD RATHER usa THAN: "I'd rather have tea THAN coffee." (3) WOULD RATHER + SUJETO + infinitivo (para otra persona): "I'd rather you go" = INCORRECTO. "I'd rather you WENT" (pasado subjuntivo) = correcto. (4) WOULD PREFER + bare infinitivo: "I would prefer go" = INCORRECTO. WOULD PREFER + TO + infinitivo: "I would prefer TO go." (diferencia con WOULD RATHER: WOULD RATHER = sin TO; WOULD PREFER = con TO).
Truco para recordarlo
RESUMEN DE FORMAS: PREFER + -ING / TO + infinitivo: "I prefer working." "I prefer to work." PREFER A/TO (comparacion): "tea TO coffee / walking TO driving." WOULD RATHER + bare infinitivo (SIN TO): "I'd rather stay." WOULD RATHER THAN (comparacion): "rather fly THAN drive." WOULD PREFER + TO + infinitivo: "I'd prefer TO take the train." WOULD RATHER que OTRA PERSONA (pasado subjuntivo): "I'd rather you STAYED."
Regla rápida
PREFER + -ING o TO + infinitivo = preferencia habitual/general. PREFER A/TO para comparar: "tea TO coffee." WOULD RATHER + bare infinitivo (SIN TO) = preferencia en el momento. WOULD RATHER + THAN para comparar. WOULD PREFER + TO + infinitivo (CON TO). WOULD RATHER que otra persona + pasado: "I'd rather you went."
¿Sabías que...?
La expresion "would rather" tiene un origen linguistico sorprendente. En el ingles antiguo y medieval, "rather" era el comparativo de "rathe" (pronto / temprano), y "I had rather" significaba literalmente "lo tendria antes/mas pronto" — es decir, "preferiria tenerlo ya." Con el tiempo, "had rather" evolucionó a "would rather" (el "would" sustituyendo al "had" en la mayoria de los contextos), pero la forma arcaica "had rather" todavia aparece en textos literarios y es comprensible aunque anticuada. Lo que hace que "would rather" sea gramaticalmente fascinante es que sigue el patron de los MODALES en cuanto al infinitivo (bare infinitive sin TO), pero se construye como una frase idiomatica — no es un modal en sentido estricto. La prueba: "she would rather go" (correcto, bare infinitive) pero "she prefers to go" (verbo ordinario, infinitivo con TO). Los modales "puros" (will, can, may, must, shall) siempre van con bare infinitive, y "would rather" se comporta de la misma manera aunque tecnicamente no sea un modal.
Ejercicio 1 · Elige la correcta
Given the current market conditions, most institutional investors would rather _____ a cautious approach to portfolio rebalancing than expose themselves to the heightened volatility that characterizes the current macro environment.
Ejercicio 2 · Elige la correcta
The procurement team indicated that they prefer _____ suppliers directly rather than working through agents, as this approach typically results in more competitive pricing and clearer accountability arrangements.
Ejercicio 3 · Forma la palabra
PREFER + -ING o TO + infinitivo = preferencia habitual/general. PREFER A/TO para comparar: "tea TO coffee." WOULD RATHER + bare infinitivo (SIN TO) = preferencia en el momento. WOULD RATHER + THAN para comparar. WOULD PREFER + TO + infinitivo (CON TO). WOULD RATHER que otra persona + pasado: "I'd rather you went."
LOS ERRORES MAS FRECUENTES: (1) WOULD RATHER + TO + infinitivo: "I would rather to stay" = INCORRECTO. WOULD RATHER + bare infinitive (sin TO). "I would rather stay" = correcto. (2) PREFER + THAN: "I prefer tea than coffee" = INCORRECTO. PREFER usa TO para la comparacion: "I prefer tea TO coffee." WOULD RATHER usa THAN: "I'd rather have tea THAN coffee." (3) WOULD RATHER + SUJETO + infinitivo (para otra persona): "I'd rather you go" = INCORRECTO. "I'd rather you WENT" (pasado subjuntivo) = correcto. (4) WOULD PREFER + bare infinitivo: "I would prefer go" = INCORRECTO. WOULD PREFER + TO + infinitivo: "I would prefer TO go." (diferencia con WOULD RATHER: WOULD RATHER = sin TO; WOULD PREFER = con TO).
RESUMEN DE FORMAS: PREFER + -ING / TO + infinitivo: "I prefer working." "I prefer to work." PREFER A/TO (comparacion): "tea TO coffee / walking TO driving." WOULD RATHER + bare infinitivo (SIN TO): "I'd rather stay." WOULD RATHER THAN (comparacion): "rather fly THAN drive." WOULD PREFER + TO + infinitivo: "I'd prefer TO take the train." WOULD RATHER que OTRA PERSONA (pasado subjuntivo): "I'd rather you STAYED."
Bryan López
Fundador de SpeakUP Academy