Preference (would rather/had better) Exercises PDFSet 2: Would Prefer, Prefer & Would Rather: Expressing and Comparing Preferences Exercises
20 questions·14 min·Answers included·Explanations included
Preview: Questions
Fill in the blank with the correct option.
1.She'd prefer ___ by train. It's more comfortable than the bus.
a) to travelb) travelc) travellingd) to travelling
2.I'd rather ___ at home tonight. I'm too tired to go out.
a) to stayb) stayc) stayingd) to staying
3.Tom would rather ___ football than tennis.
a) to playb) playingc) playd) played
4.In general, I ___ cooking at home to eating out.
a) would ratherb) ratherc) would preferd) prefer
5.He prefers ___ rather than take the bus to work.
a) to walkb) walkingc) walkd) to walking
... and 15 more questions in the PDF
Preview: Answers
1.to travel
2.stay
3.play
4.prefer
5.to walk
... and 15 more answers in the PDF
Preview: Explanations
1."to travel"(a)
After 'would prefer', use the to-infinitive. 'She'd prefer to travel by train' is correct. Compare with 'would rather': 'She'd rather travel' (bare infinitive, no 'to'). This is one of the key structural differences between the two expressions.
2."stay"(b)
After 'would rather', always use the bare infinitive (without 'to'). 'I'd rather stay' is correct. 'I'd rather to stay', 'I'd rather staying', and 'I'd rather to staying' are all grammatically incorrect.
3."play"(c)
After 'would rather', use the bare infinitive. 'Tom would rather play football than tennis' compares two options using 'than'. Never add 'to' or '-ing' after 'would rather'.
4."prefer"(d)
Use 'prefer + -ing + to + -ing' for general, habitual preferences. 'I prefer cooking to eating out' describes what you generally like more. The phrase 'in general' confirms this is a habitual preference. 'Would rather' and 'would prefer' are typically for specific situations, not general habits.
5."to walk"(a)
In the structure 'prefer + to-infinitive + rather than + bare infinitive', use the to-infinitive after 'prefer'. 'He prefers to walk rather than take the bus.' This is an alternative to 'He prefers walking to taking the bus' (both -ing forms).
... and 15 more explanations in the PDF
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