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would prefer vs prefer

by Vernon Wiegand II Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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What Is The Difference Between “Prefer” And “Would Prefer”? “Prefer” as a standalone verb is simply used to make a preference. It’s much more common than using “would prefer.” “Would” means that we’re talking about something we would like to change but that we know we might not be able to.

Both "prefer" & "would prefer" express the preference. This site said "You can use 'prefer to (do)' or 'prefer -ing' to say what you prefer in general" & "We use 'would prefer' to say what somebody wants in a particular situation (not in general)".Sep 4, 2016

Full Answer

What is the difference between like and prefer?

is that prefer is while like is to please. (usually plural) something that a person likes (prefers) or like can be (sometimes as the likes of ) someone similar to a given person, or something similar to a given object; a comparative; a type; a sort. similar. (informal) for example, such as: to introduce an example or list of examples.

How to use the verb prefer correctly?

Using "Préférer" in a Sentence

  • Il est préférable de ne pas choisir de trop grosses huîtres, préférer les numéros 3 ou 4 qui équivalent à des moyennes. ...
  • Il faut donc préférer la transparence à l'angélisme et ne pas masquer les intérêts en jeu. ...
  • Pour cette dernière partie, le médecin peut préférer la prescription en génériques, prévoit le document. ...

What is the opposite of 'prefer'?

Synonyms for PREFER: care (for), favor, lean (toward or towards), like, cherry-pick, choose, cull, elect; Antonyms for PREFER: decline, refuse, reject, turn down Prefer: to show partiality toward. Synonyms: care (for), favor, lean (toward or towards)…

Which is to prefer?

The verb preferir means to prefer. The two words are cognates, which means that their sound is similar and they have the same meaning, since they both come from the same Latin verb. Therefore, they are used in similar contexts.

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Do you prefer or would you prefer?

Would prefer. We use would prefer or 'd prefer, followed by a to-infinitive or a noun, to talk about present and future preferences: I'd prefer to go by myself.

What is the difference between would rather and prefer?

Note that would rather is followed by a bare infinitive without to, whereas prefer requires to + infinitive. Would rather (but not would prefer to) is also followed by a past tense when we want to involve other people in the action, even though it has a present or future meaning.

Would rather would prefer or prefer?

Would rather is followed by the infinitive without to. Would prefer is followed by to + infinitive or a noun.

How do you use prefer correctly?

We use prefer to say we like one thing or activity more than another. We can use a prepositional phrase with to when we compare two things or actions: I prefer tea to coffee. We prefer going by ferry to flying.

Would you prefer meaning?

"Which do you prefer?" here means the same as "Which one do you like better?" (though in a slightly more formal register). Are you asking why she didn't ask "Which one would you prefer?" That would imply that her friend was about to buy one or the other, rather than simply asking which she liked better.

Would prefer it if meaning?

DEFINITIONS1. used for telling someone politely not to do something. I would prefer it if you didn't smoke in here.

Would rather and would prefer English grammar?

I would rather ('I prefer', 'I would prefer') is used as a modal auxiliary verb. It is followed by the infinitive (without 'to') when its subject is the same as the subject of the next verb. This happens when we talk about what we would prefer to do. I would rather (or I'd rather) stay with you.

Would rather would prefer had better?

Prefer; In contrast to 'would rather' prefers refer to general preference, not current ones. Prefer is followed by a verb in the -ing form and 'to'.

Would rather and would prefer questions?

100 Would You Rather QuestionsWould you rather go into the past and meet your ancestors or go into the future and meet your great-great grandchildren?Would you rather have more time or more money?Would you rather have a rewind button or a pause button on your life?More items...

Would rather and would prefer exercises with answers?

Exercise 11 I prefer brown sugar. to. ... 2 I don't want to go out. I'd rather. ... 3 I like trekking in the mountains, but I prefer. to lying. ... 4 I'd rather go in December. that. ... 5 I'd rather come with you. to stay. ... 6 I prefer travelling by bus. to travelling. ... 7 I usually have tea, but today I'd prefer. ... 8 I'd prefer to read for a while.More items...

Is would be present tense?

Technically, would is the past tense of will, but it is an auxiliary verb that has many uses, some of which even express the present tense.

Would rather and would prefer English grammar?

I would rather ('I prefer', 'I would prefer') is used as a modal auxiliary verb. It is followed by the infinitive (without 'to') when its subject is the same as the subject of the next verb. This happens when we talk about what we would prefer to do. I would rather (or I'd rather) stay with you.

Would rather and would prefer questions?

100 Would You Rather QuestionsWould you rather go into the past and meet your ancestors or go into the future and meet your great-great grandchildren?Would you rather have more time or more money?Would you rather have a rewind button or a pause button on your life?More items...

Would rather had better and prefer?

Prefer; In contrast to 'would rather' prefers refer to general preference, not current ones. Prefer is followed by a verb in the -ing form and 'to'.

Would rather and would prefer exercises with answers?

Exercise 11 I prefer brown sugar. to. ... 2 I don't want to go out. I'd rather. ... 3 I like trekking in the mountains, but I prefer. to lying. ... 4 I'd rather go in December. that. ... 5 I'd rather come with you. to stay. ... 6 I prefer travelling by bus. to travelling. ... 7 I usually have tea, but today I'd prefer. ... 8 I'd prefer to read for a while.More items...

How many forms of prefer?

We choose one thing between diffferent options. We can use "prefer" in 3 different forms.

Can you use "would prefer" and "prefer"?

We can use would prefer and prefer with the same meaning. However, the only difference is that we cannot use verb+ing after would prefer.

What does "I really don't like flying" mean?

1. I really don't like flying. I prefer to drive. [In general I prefer driving over flying. This is a neutral statement describing a person's preference]

Is "I prefer" or "would prefer"?

I think your original statement of the difference is basically right: 'I prefer' is most usual in general situations, 'I would prefer' on specific occasions . You can say 'I prefer' on a specific occasion too; to me it sounds a bit brusque - I prefer this, so that's what I'm going to do - whereas 'would' (as so often) softens it, makes it more polite and tentative.

Can you name multiple conditions at the same time?

These conditions are normally not phrased since it appears to be even politer not to mention them. Just one condition would reduce the effect, but naming multiple at the same time would be weird/overly polite.

Can you say "I prefer coffee" without conditional?

You can of course still say "I prefer coffee" without the conditional, but it just isn't as polite. One could infact understand it as a rejection that comes very close to a "to hell with your tea, I only drink coffe". As you noticed yourself "I prefer coffee to tea" seems very general.

What does "prefer" mean?

Prefer: We use the word ‘prefer’ to talk generally about likes, dislikes, what we want.

What is a preference?

Preferences are one of the most basic conversational demands when given a choice between two items, Which one to select. There are indeed different ways in English we can ask about preferences. To ask about people’s general tastes or preferences, we often use words like: prefer, would prefer, would rather and like to say we like or give priority ...

What preposition is used to state a choice?

Prefer and would prefer: We use the preposition “to” to state a choice with prefer and would prefer, but if prefer is followed by infinitive we can use the preposition “than” to state the choice.

What are the words used to describe preferences?

We talked about preferences, which is one of the most conversational demands, for this purpose, we use the words: like, prefer, would prefer and would rather to say we give priority or like one thing more than another. Remember these words are not in any progressive tenses.

What does "Rather than" mean?

Rather than: used with the infinitive form of a verb to indicate negation as a contrary choice or wish. We say: would prefer . . . rather than / instead of.

What does "like" mean in a sentence?

Like: We can use like to talk about things or people which we enjoy or feel positive about.

When we want to refer to the past, do we use "would rather"?

Remember: When we want to refer to the past, we use would rather + have + -ed form (perfect infinitive without to):

What Does “Would Prefer” And “Would Rather” Mean?

Both of the words are identical in meaning; they’re just used in different sentences. It’s up to you which one you’d rather use, but as you learn more about the language, you’ll be able to decide which one works best in which situations.

What Is The Opposite Of “Rather”?

There isn’t a direct opposite word that we can use in place of “rather.” However, there are a few words that you can use that work well to show the opposite effect.

Is It Negative To Say “Would Prefer” And “Would Rather”?

When it comes to speaking in a negative sense, “would prefer” and “would rather” aren’t definitive. You can use them in both negative and positive ways.

Is “Rather Prefer” Correct?

Whenever it comes to someone writing “rather prefer,” you should make sure to correct them as it is wrong.

Is “Rather” A Formal Word?

Most people consider “rather” more formal than “prefer.” Many people use it in formal writing to talk about preferences, owing to the more professional tone it conveys.

Is It “Would Prefer To Do” Or “Would Prefer Doing”?

If you’ve paid attention to the language rules throughout this article, then hopefully, this next section will be a piece of cake for you.

Is "rather" an adverb?

The meaning of “rather,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “used to show that you prefer to have or do one thing more than another.” It is an adverb instead of a verb, so a second verb is needed in every sentence where “ would rather” is used.

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1.What the the meaning difference between "prefer"

Url:https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/102643/what-the-the-meaning-difference-between-prefer-would-prefer

7 hours ago  · Both "prefer" & "would prefer" express the preference. This site said "You can use 'prefer to (do)' or 'prefer -ing' to say what you prefer in general" & "We use 'would prefer' to …

2.Prefer / would Prefer Lesson (usage, difference and …

Url:https://englishpedia.net/my-grammar/modals/would-rather-prefer/would-prefer-english-lesson.html

29 hours ago  · 1. would prefer to. 2. prefer to. I think the correct answer is 1, but someone is insisting on 2. I have learned that you use ' prefer to (do) or prefer -ing ' to say what you …

3.would prefer vs prefer | WordReference Forums

Url:https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/would-prefer-vs-prefer.2335086/

27 hours ago The difference between “would rather” and “would prefer” is that whereas “would rather” is an incomplete verb, “would prefer” is a complete verb. Of course, the tense in question here is the …

4."Prefer to do something" vs. "would prefer to do something"

Url:https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/222873/prefer-to-do-something-vs-would-prefer-to-do-something

27 hours ago  · The "would" implies a conditional and is thus, as already mentioned, more polite. E.g. the host offers you tea but you prefer coffee: I would prefer coffee, (if that is possible/if …

5.Preferences (Prefer, Would Prefer, Would Rather And …

Url:https://www.learnesl.net/preferences-prefer-would-prefer-would-rather-and-like/

29 hours ago Prefer and would prefer: We use the preposition “to” to state a choice with prefer and would prefer, but if prefer is followed by infinitive we can use the preposition “than” to state the …

6."Would Prefer" vs. "Would Rather" - Difference Explained …

Url:https://grammarhow.com/would-prefer-vs-would-rather/

8 hours ago “Prefer” as a standalone verb is simply used to make a preference. It’s much more common than using “would prefer.” “Would” means that we’re talking about something we would like to …

7.i would prefer or i prefer | UsingEnglish.com ESL Forum

Url:https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/i-would-prefer-or-i-prefer.80226/

22 hours ago  · Oct 10, 2008. #2. The " would " in this case is generally just a softening, polite word. Asked if you prefer coffee with milk or cream, you might respond, "I would prefer cream" …

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