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Using preferences: prefer, like ... better than, would rather.

This website is all about basic English. Using preferences: prefer, like ... better than, would rather.

Preference means "a thing better than another."

Prefer, like ... better than, would rather have the same meaning.

(A) Prefer means "like better."

Rule 1: Subject + prefer + noun + to + noun. Examples:

1. I prefer oranges to bananas. 2. Sally prefers jewelry to furniture.

3. Children prefer love to hope. 4. They prefer juice to soup.

5. We prefer butter to cheese. 6. Babies prefer light to darkness.

7. My daughter prefers homework to housework. 8. She prefers gold to copper.

9. I prefer kindness to ignorance. 10. You prefer patience to violence.

Rule 2: Subject + prefer + gerund + to + gerund. Examples:

1.They prefer asking questions to returning answers. 

2. I prefer giving suggestions to taking information.

3. My son prefers staying home to going to class.

4. We prefer listening music to seeing a movie.

5. Kids prefer watching TV to studying. 

6. Teachers prefer learning to memorizing.

7. Paul prefers walking to running. 

8. I prefer having honesty to showing selfishness.

9. He prefers cleaning bathroom to doing laundry. 

10. You prefer drinking water to drinking soda.

            Read More:  How About and What About.

            (B) Like ... better than.

Rule 1: Subject + like + noun + better than + noun. Examples:

1. I like honey better than sugar. 2. Everybody likes fresh air better than pollution.

3. She likes toothpaste better than toothpicks. 4. We like garlic better than ghee.

5. Women like diamond better than silver. 6. Cats like fish better than chicken.

7. People like happiness better than beauty. 8. She likes fun better than gloom.

9. Carpenters like wood better than iron.10. You like milk better than alcohol.

Rule 2: Subject + like + gerund + better than + gerund. Examples:

1. I like visiting my friends better than talking on phone.

2. Bella likes sitting on chair better than standing on floor.

3. A person likes sleeping better than waking long time.

4. We like eating vegetables better than eating fruits.

5. Someone likes living in an apartment better than  living in a house.

6. They like remembering words better than reminding them.

7. My grandmother likes putting a little pepper on her eggs better than using salt.

8. She likes cooking food better than washing the dishes.

9. Some students like speaking better than writing a composition.

10. You like telling the truth better than falsifying.

(C) Would rather.

Rule 1: Would rather is followed by the base form of a verb.

Subject + would rather + the base form of a verb + noun + than + noun. Examples:

1. I would rather drink tea than coffee. 

2. My co-workers would rather fly  a plane than a bus.

3. He would rather be an author than an artist. 

4. She would rather have a big family than a small family.

5. Somebody would rather buy Christmas trees than Christmas presents.

Rule 2: Subject + would rather + the base form of a verb + than + 

the base form of a verb. Examples:

1. Ted would rather have apples than look grapes.

2. He would rather be poor than get money dishonestly.

3. My grandfather would rather cut meat than read a book.

4. She would rather dance on the stage than draw a picture.

5. I would rather wear new clothes than keep old clothes.

Rule 3: Contraction of would rather with subject pronoun = 'd rather. Example:

I'd rather /You'd rather /She'd rather /He'd rather /We'd rather /They'd rather

protect the environment than smoke.

Rule 4: would rather can be followed by or to offer someone a choice. Example:

Q. Would you rather ride a motorcycle or a bicycle?

Ans: I would rather ride a motorcycle than a bicycle.

The following questions and and answers with 

prefer, like ... better than, would rather.

1. Q. Which do you prefer: cauliflower or broccoli? 

Answer: I prefer cauliflower to broccoli.

2. Q. Which do you prefer: using soap or using shampoo and conditioner?

Answer: I prefer using soap to using shampoo and conditioner.

3. Q. Which do you like better: basketball or hide-and-seek?

Answer: I like basketball better than hide-and-seek.

4. Q. Which do you like better: growing strawberries or spending time?

Answer: I like growing strawberries better than spending time.

5. Q. Which one would you rather be: rich or unlucky?

Answer: I would rather be rich than unlucky.

6. What kind of dress would you rather need: a sweater or a suit?

Answer: I would rather need a suit than sell a sweater.

The following sentences with to, better than, than.

1. When I am hungry, I prefer rice to potatoes.

2. When I am hungry. I like rice better than potatoes.

3. When I am hungry, I would rather eat rice than potatoes.

4. I prefer singing in the shower to playing with my kittens.

5. I like singing in he shower better than playing with my kittens.

6. I would rather sing in the shower than play with my kittens.