Study the ways in which we can express preference:

Exercise 4 a) Fill in the gaps with ‘would rather’ or ‘(would)prefer’

1. Do you ............. reading magazines or books?

2. She .................. go to a disco than go to the theatre.

3. Jack ................. listening to the music to watching television.

4. He ............................... study History than Maths.

5. I .................................. the piano to the violin.

6. ............... you ............... to have spaghetti or steak for dinner?

7. I ............... see a comedy film than an adventure film.

8. .... you ........ going to the cinema or going to the theatre?

9. I ......................... to finish it today rather than leave it for tomorrow.

b) Use the correct form of the infinitive.

1. I would rather ……….. (to go) for a walk.

2. I would rather …. (not/to eat) anything fattening. I’m on a diet.

3. I would rather ……….. (to go) for a walk yesterday. But everybody insisted on staying at home.

4. I would rather …….. (not/to take) the bus, but I had no choice.

5. I would prefer … (to pay) cash rather than by credit card.

6. My mother would sooner… (to cook) herself than… (to go out)

7. My uncle would rather …………… (to watch) TV yesterday.

8. I would rather (not/to watch) any thrillers before going to sleep.

9. I would prefer …......... (to go) somewhere warm on holiday.

10. He’d rather ... (to meet) his friends tonight than ... (to stay in).

11. Mary would rather ... (to watch) Oscar. But all the rest decided to watch football.

12. He would rather ... (to surf) the Net than (to watch) a soap opera.

13. She would rather ……. (to drink) coffee but they had only tea.

14. We would prefer… (to buy) a cake rather than ... (to buy) candies.

15. I would rather ………. (to go to sleep) but I have to finish my homework in Practical Grammar.

Exercise 5 Translate the sentences using ‘would rather’.

1. Я б краще зачекала тут, якщо ви не заперечуєте. 2. Я так втомився вчора. Я б краще нікуди не ходив, але не міг відмовити другу. 3. Я не хочу їсти. Я б краще поїла пізніше. 4. Ви б воліли відповідати першим чи другим? 5. Він дуже хвилюється. Йому було б краще відповідати першим. 6. Я б краще склав екзамен зараз ніж чекав і хвилювався ще годину. 7. Я б краще зробив все сам. Але вони не довірили мені виконати цю роботу. (to get the job done) 8. Можливо, ви б краще зробили це самі? 9. Я зараз вільний, тому я б волів допомогати вам, ніж просто чекати. 10. Я б краще поїхала до Криму, ніж в Одесу. Але батьки наполягли на поїздці в Крим.

Exercise 6 Paraphrase the situations using either (had) better or would rather.

1. You would prefer to play tennis not chess.

2. You advise her not to invite him to the party.

3. You want to be left alone to read and don’t want to go out.

4. It would be more sensible for you to go and rest for an hour.

5. We should have waited for him at home.

6. I would prefer to go to Kyiv by bus than by train.

7. I would have preferred to ask you for advice. But you were abroad.

8. Your friend wears horrible lipstick. You advise her not to.

9. Your friend smokes a lot. You advise him to give up.

10. You don’t want to go to the cinema. You would prefer to go somewhere else for a change.

11. You say to your friend: “I don’t feel you should go to that party. You don’t know anyone there.”

12. I would have preferred to go to the party yesterday. Bur they decided to watch that boring movie.

13. You shouldn’t interfere with your brother’s business.

14. You shouldn’t have interfered with your brother’s business.

Exercise 7 Make up dialogues using ‘if only’. ‘would rather’ and ‘had better’. Follow the example.

• I would rather marry John. He’s handsome.

• You had better marry Mike. He’s reliable.

• If only one of them would propose to me.

II

When the subject of would rather is different from the subject of the following verb, would rather (sooner) is followed by Subjunctive II.

Present Subjunctive II (V₂) is used to express preference in the present or in the future.

Smb1 would rather smb2 did (did not do) smth

E.g.: I would rather you didn’t go to the party.

Past Subjunctive II (had + V₃) is used to express preference in the past.

Smb1 would rather (sooner) smb2 had done (had not done) smth

E.g.: I would rather you hadn’t gone to the party.

Exercise 1 What do husbands usually say to their wives? Complete the sentences, as in the example.

1. I'll cook dinner if you really want me to, but I'd rather you cooked it

2. I'll go to the supermarket if you really want me to, but ...

3. I'll wash the dishes if you really want me to, but...

4. I'll empty the rubbish bin if you really want me to, but...

5. I'll iron all the clothes if you really want me to, but...

6. I'll clean the bathroom if you really want me to, but...

7. I’ll do the washing if you really want me to, but ……….

8. I’ll pick the kids from school, but ……………

9. I’ll meet your mother at the station, but …………..

Exercise 2 Answer the following questions. E.g.: Can I bring Tom with me? – I’d rather you didn’t. I’d rather you brought Mike.

1. Can I go alone?

2. Can I ring New York on your phone?

3. Can I drop the university?

4. Can I clean my motorcycle in the kitchen?

5. Can I tell Tom what you’ve just told me?

6. Can I park my helicopter on the roof of your house?

7. Can we hitchhike to Rome?

8. Can I put the goldfish in the bath?

9. Can I skip all the classes tomorrow?

10. Can we use your scissors to cut this wire?

11. Can we come in late tomorrow?

12. Can I go barefoot?

13. Can I have a snake tattooed round my ankle?

14. Shall we paint your door pink with yellow stars?

15. Shall I ring you at 3 a.m.?

16. Shall I threaten to burn down his house?

Exercise 3 This is what wives often say to their husbands. Complete the sentences as in the example. E.g.: You forgot to congratulate my mom on her birthday but I’d rather you hadn’t forgotten it.

1. You went to the pub yesterday but I ………………

2. You didn’t throw the rubbish but I ……………..

3. You didn’t go shopping yesterday but I ……………

4. You went to the stadium to watch the football and left our son at home alone but I ….

5. You came home drunk yesterday but I ……………

6. You spent 1000 hrn on your car but I …………….

7. You spent the whole weekend in front of TV, but ……

Exercise 4 Teenagers are always arguing with their parents. This is what they say. Complete the sentences.

1. You are always interfering with my life but I ………….

2. You don’t let me play computer games till late night but I …

3. You don’t knock before entering the room

4. You called my boyfriend yesterday to talk to him but I …

5. You made me wear that silly dress with bows but I …

6. You make me cook but I ……………………

7. You don’t let me stay out after midnight, but ……….

8. You told my friend not to come to our house again, but ….

9. You read my diary last week, but I …………………..

Exercise 5 Paraphrase the following using would rather+ Subjunctive II.

1. You know I don’t like you to take my car.

2. My wife wants us to stay here a few days longer.

3. She is not pleased we came.

4. I’m sorry you spent all that money.

5. Mother doesn’t want her to have a key of her own.

6. Do you want me to go with you?

7. They don’t like the children to play in their garden.

8. She is sorry you didn’t go with her.

9. I don’t want you to touch things in my room.

10. She doesn’t like me to borrow her things.

11. She’s angry her brother used her computer.

12. Her parents don’t want her to go out alone.

13. I would prefer that you have kept the matter secret.

Exercise 6 Put the verb in brackets into the correct form (use either an infinitive or Subjunctive II).

1. I would rather …………… (to go) fishing this afternoon.

2. I’d rather you … (not to wear) my red dress to the dance today.

3. I’d rather you ………… (to say) that you didn’t want to come.

4. I’d rather …. (to go) by plane but I couldn’t afford the air fare.

5. I’d rather you(not to use) such a bad language! It upsets people.

6. I’d rather you ……………... (not to tell) them the news yet.

7. We would rather ……………… (to recycle) our rubbish than …………… (to use) non-recyclable goods.

8. I would rather the plumber …(come) tomorrow, because I don't want to wait around for him today.

9. I would rather you … (not/go) to that party yesterday.

10. I think he would rather … (not/watch) the film. He didn't seem to enjoy it much.

11. I'd rather … (play) tennis than go swimming next weekend.

12. I would rather they …................. (try) to fix the computer themselves before they asked me to do it.

13. I would rather you …........................... (catch) a later train.

14. Would you rather I … (call) you or sent you a text message?

15. I'd rather …............ (wait) for Sarah than go on without her.

Exercise 7 The problem of the generation gap exists in every family. Make up a dialogue between a parent and a daughter/ son.

Student A: you are a teenager. Your parents keep forbidding you to do many things and interfering in your life.

Student B: you are a parent. You are worried about your child.