Preference (would rather/had better) Exercises PDFSet 3: Would Rather with Subjunctive: Preferences About Other People's Actions Exercises
20 questions·15 min·Answers included·Explanations included
Preview: Questions
Fill in the blank with the correct option.
1.I'd rather you ___ tomorrow instead of today.
a) cameb) comec) comingd) will come
2.She'd rather her children ___ so much time playing video games.
a) don't spendb) didn't spendc) not spendd) won't spend
3.I'd rather you ___ me the whole truth about what happened.
a) tellb) tellingc) toldd) will tell
4.We'd rather the meeting ___ in the morning, not the afternoon.
a) isb) will bec) beingd) was
5.My parents would rather I ___ medicine at university.
a) studiedb) studyc) studyingd) will study
... and 15 more questions in the PDF
Preview: Answers
1.came
2.didn't spend
3.told
4.was
5.studied
... and 15 more answers in the PDF
Preview: Explanations
1."came"(a)
After 'would rather + subject', use the past simple to talk about present or future preferences. 'I'd rather you came tomorrow' means 'I want you to come tomorrow, not today.' The past tense 'came' here is subjunctive — it does not refer to the past.
2."didn't spend"(b)
The negative form of 'would rather + subject + past simple' uses 'didn't'. 'She'd rather her children didn't spend so much time' expresses her preference about their current behaviour. Don't use 'don't' or 'won't' — the subjunctive requires past tense forms.
3."told"(c)
After 'would rather + you', use the past simple (subjunctive). 'I'd rather you told me the truth' means 'I want you to tell me the truth.' Despite using the past form 'told', this refers to a present or future situation.
4."was"(d)
After 'would rather + subject', use the past simple. 'We'd rather the meeting was in the morning' expresses a preference about a future arrangement. In formal English, 'were' is also acceptable here (subjunctive 'were'), but 'was' is standard in everyday English.
5."studied"(a)
After 'would rather + I', use the past simple (subjunctive). 'My parents would rather I studied medicine' means they prefer me to study medicine. The past tense 'studied' does not refer to the past here — it expresses a present wish about someone else's actions.
... and 15 more explanations in the PDF
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