EXPRESSING PREFERENCE
PREFER: + Noun +TO + Noun : I prefer coffee to tea
+ -ING Form + TO + ING Form : I prefer skiing to swimming. = to
talk about general preferences
+ TO Infinitive + RATHER THAN + Bare Infinitive : I prefer to eat fish
rather than (eat) meat to talk about general preferences
WOULD PREFER + TO Infinitive : Would you like to have a cup of coffee? I’d prefer to
have some water. = To talk about specific preference
Another clause can be introduced by rather than + bare
infinitive : He’d prefer to stay at home rather than drive to the restaurant
Prefer takes an object when we want to introduce a new subject: I
would prefer her to stay at home
WOULD RATHER/SOONER
SAME SUBJECT : followed by the bare infinitive: I'd rather play
football than golf but I prefer football to golf
Or the Perfect Infinitive: I'd rather have stayed at home
DIFFERENT SUBJECT: → Use a Past Tense with present or future meaning: Shall I
open the window? I'd rather you didn't
→ Use a Past Perfect with past meaning: I'd rather you hadn't
called him old
HAD BETTER + Bare Infinitive (= should/ought)
You had/'d better book your flight early
I'd better not take out a loan; I won't be able to pay it back
This structure is used to give advice or to say what the best thing to do in a particular
situation is. Had better is more emphatic than Should or Ought to but it is not as
emphatic as Must
You must see a lawyer . (strong advice)
You had better see a lawyer ( less emphatic than "Must")
You should/ought to see a lawyer ( even less emphatic)
WISHES
I WISH/IF ONLY I HAD A BIGGER HOUSE.(PRESENT
UNREALITY)
I WISH/IF ONLY I HAD BOUGHT THAT HOUSE.(PAST
UNREALITY) REGRET
I WISH I COULD DRIVE BETTER.( FUTURE
REFERENCE)
I WISH THE GOVERNMENT WOULD BUILD THE NEW
HOSPITAL.
IT’S TIME/IT’S HIGH TIME-I ,YOU, SHE, WE+PAST
SIMPLE
IT’S HIHG TIME MY DAUGHTER STARTED A JOB.
( PRESENT UNREALITY)
SOPPOSE/IMEGINE
SUPPOSE YOU LOST CAR KEYS, WHAT WOULD YOU
DO?