Expressing Preferences
in English
When speaking English, it is important to be able to
express preferences. This means telling others what
you like more or what you would rather do. There are
several ways to express preferences in English, and
each one can be used in different situations.
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Why express preferences?
Being able to express preferences clearly helps you
communicate more naturally and confidently. Expressing
preferences makes your English more natural. You can use
these expressions when talking to friends, making choices,
or discussing plans.
When talking about preferences, we use “prefer”, “would
rather” and ”better than” to indicate choices. Both are
used to express likes and dislikes, but they differ in usage.
• To show what you like more
• Useful for daily conversation
• Helps you express choices clearly
1. Using the verb "prefer"
The verb prefer is used to show that you like one
thing more than another. It is usually followed by
prefer + noun/gerund + to + noun(kata
benda)/gerund or an infinitive
Examples:
🠶 I prefer paying in cash to using a credit
card.
🠶 She prefers reading books to watching
movies.
🠶 We prefer local products to imported
ones.
🠶 They prefer to work in the morning.
🠶 I prefer to walk rather than drive.
2. Using "would
rather"
The phrase would rather is used when you want to talk
about a specific preference at a particular time. Structure:
would rather + verb + than + verb.
Examples:
🠶 I would rather buy in bulk than purchase
small quantities.
🠶 They would rather negotiate the price than
accept the first offer.
🠶 He would rather play basketball than go
swimming.
🠶 She would rather stay at home tonight.
3. Using "like" and
"better than"
You can also use like with better than to express
preferences. Structure: like + noun/gerund +
better than + noun/gerund.
Examples:
🠶 I like pizza better than burgers.
🠶 Customers like direct discounts better
than coupons.
🠶 I like shopping at traditional markets better
than at supermarkets.
🠶 She likes traveling by train better than by
plane.
[Link]
form
When you want to compare two things
directly, you can use comparative adjectives.
Examples:
🠶 I think summer is better than winter.
🠶 The inflation rate is higher this year
than last year.
🠶 The movie was less exciting than the
book.
🠶 This movie is more interesting than the
last one.
Contoh Dialog
Expressing Preference :
🠶 Annie: Hi, Benny! Are you up for a study session this
weekend? (Hai, Benny! Apakah kamu mau belajar bersama akhir
pekan ini?)
🠶 Benny: Hi, Annie! I would prefer studying at the library rather
than at my place. (Hai, Annie! Aku lebih suka belajar di
perpustakaan daripada di tempatku.)
🠶 Annie: That sounds good to me. The library is quiet and has
all the resources we need. (Bagiku itu oke. Perpustakaan itu
tenang dan memiliki semua sumber daya yang kita butuhkan.)
🠶 Benny: Exactly! Plus, we can focus better without any
distractions. (Benar! Selain itu, kita bisa fokus dengan lebih
baik tanpa ada gangguan.)
Complete the sentences together.
🠶 I ___ (prefer) to buy goods online going to the store.
🠶 Many customers ___ (would rather) get a discount ____
receive free gifts.
🠶 Small business owners like negotiating prices ____ paying full
price.
🠶 My company __ (prefer) local supplier _ _ overseas ones.
🠶 I __ (would rather) wait for the best price _ __ rush into
buying.
Summary of structures
Expression Form and Example
prefer + noun/gerund + to +
Prefer noun/gerund : I prefer paying
cash to using cards.
would rather + verb + than +
Would rather verb : I would rather
negotiate than accept the
first price.
like + noun/gerund + better than
Like, better than + noun/gerund : They like buying
in person better than online.