Learning English Grammar

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Preferences

Episode 250902 / 02 Sep 2025

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Introduction

Do you prefer dogs or cats? Neil and Phil talk about choices and preferences and our grammar guru Georgie explains the grammar of these choices. Learn to use prefer, would prefer and would rather.

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Grammar explanation

prefer + noun/gerund + to + noun/gerund

Use prefer to talk about general preferences.

Examples:

I prefer pasta to pizza.
He prefers writing to reading.

would prefer + infinitive + rather than + base form

Use would prefer to talk about specific events or plans.

Examples:

I would prefer to walk rather than get the bus.
They'd prefer to go to a restaurant rather than cook.

would rather + base form + than + base form

Would rather and would prefer have similar meanings. We also use would rather for hypothetical questions, such as, would you rather have six arms or six legs?

Examples:

We'd rather stay home than go out.
I would rather have six arms than six legs.

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