ESEN
Which one to use?Intermediateverbmodal verb
PrefervsWould rather
'Prefer' expresses a general or habitual preference; 'would rather' expresses a preference right now or between two options.
Side-by-side comparison
Prefer
verb"Prefer" expresses a general and habitual preference. It is followed by a noun or gerund: "I prefer coffee", "I prefer walking".
I prefer tea to coffee, coffee makes me too jittery in the morning.
She prefers to study in the library where it is quiet and there are fewer distractions.
Do you prefer sweet or savoury breakfasts? I can make either one easily.
Would rather
modal verb"Would rather" expresses a preference in a specific moment or situation. It is followed by the bare infinitive: "I would rather walk today".
I would rather walk than wait for a bus, it is only ten minutes away.
She would rather stay home tonight than go to another noisy party.
Would you rather have pizza or pasta for dinner? Both are quick to make.
Common mistake
The most frequent error: "I would rather to stay" is wrong: "would rather" always takes the bare infinitive (no TO): "I would rather stay." Second error: "I prefer tea than coffee" is wrong: "prefer" uses TO for comparison ("prefer tea TO coffee"), while "would rather" uses THAN ("rather tea THAN coffee").
Trick to remember it
- •WOULD RATHER has TO-phobia: "to" never follows "rather" when the subject is the same ("would rather go", never "would rather to go"). PREFER is flexible: "prefer to eat", "prefer eating" — both work.
- •Different-subject trap: RATHER demands past subjunctive: "I'd rather you WENT" (not "go").
Quick rule
- •"Prefer + -ING/to-infinitive" = habitual preference.
- •"Would rather + bare infinitive" = preference right now (no TO).
- •"Would prefer + to-infinitive" = with TO.
- •For another person: "I'd rather you + past subjunctive" (I'd rather you went).
Did you know?
The expression "would rather" has an unexpected historical origin. In Old and Medieval English, the original form was "HAD rather": "I had rather stay" literally meant "I would have it sooner" (I would prefer to have it before the alternative). Over time, "had" was replaced by "would" in most contexts, though "had rather" still appears in classic literary English. The reason "would rather" takes the bare infinitive without TO is that it follows the same pattern as pure modals (can, will, shall, must, may), even though technically it is not a modal. It is a "semi-modal" or "quasi-modal" that behaves as one, which explains the bare infinitive.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
I _____ staying home to going out in the rain.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
I _____ stay home than go out in the rain.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
GerundvsInfinitive
Some verbs take a gerund (-ing), others take an infinitive (to + verb), and some take both with different meanings.
Had bettervsWould rather
'Had better' expresses urgent advice with an implied negative consequence; 'would rather' expresses personal preference.
SuggestvsRecommend
'Suggest' and 'recommend' never take 'to' + infinitive; they use a gerund or a 'that' clause.
AvsAn
'A' is used before consonant sounds; 'an' is used before vowel sounds.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy