Would Rather vs. Prefer: Expressing Preferences
"I'd rather stay home tonight" or "I prefer staying home"? Both express a preference, but each follows different grammar rules — and mixing them up is one of the most common mistakes at the A2 level. For example, would rather takes a bare infinitive (I'd rather walk), while prefer pairs with a gerund or "to + infinitive" (I prefer walking / I prefer to walk).
This challenge digs into the key structures you need to master: forming would rather + base verb for present preferences, using the negative form (I'd rather not…), and choosing correctly between prefer + gerund + to and prefer + infinitive + rather than. You'll also tackle the trickier pattern of would rather + someone else + past tense — as in I'd rather you drove more slowly — where the past simple doesn't refer to the past at all, but to a present wish about another person's behaviour.
Across 13 questions in single-choice, multi-choice, drop-down, and drag-and-drop formats, you'll work through real-life scenarios like declining a friend's invitation, making weekend plans with a roommate, requesting changes from a messy flatmate, and planning a trip with a friend.
Try the quiz to check your knowledge!
Correct Answers
Choose the correct words to complete these conversations. Each speaker is saying what they'd prefer someone else to do — can you pick the right verb form? 🗣️
A: Can I open the window? B: I'd rather you didn't — it's freezing outside!
A: Should Tom drive tonight? B: I'd rather he took a taxi. He looks tired.
A: I want to tell Sara the surprise. B: I'd rather you kept it a secret for now! 🤫
I'd rather you didn't — it's freezing outside!
When we want someone else to (not) do something, we use "would rather + subject + past simple." Here, "didn't" is the past simple of "do" used for a polite refusal. "Don't" (present) and "won't" (future) don't fit this pattern.
I'd rather he took a taxi.
After "would rather + another person," we use the past simple form even though we're talking about the present or future. This is similar to unreal/hypothetical meaning. "Takes" (present simple) and "take" (base form) are incorrect here.
I'd rather you kept it a secret for now!
Same pattern: "would rather + you + past simple." The past tense "kept" doesn't refer to past time — it expresses a current preference about someone else's action. "Keep" (base form) and "keeping" (-ing form) don't follow this structure.
The correct answers are traveling, take, and left.
"Prefer" + "-ing" is used for general preferences: "prefer traveling." "Would rather" + bare infinitive expresses a specific preference: "would rather take." When "would rather" refers to another person's action, we use past simple: "would rather we left."
You're sharing a taxi, and the driver is speeding. Complete what you'd say to express your wish about the driver's behavior.
I'd rather you ___ more slowly, please.
The correct answer is drove.
When we use "would rather" to express a preference about another person's actions, we follow it with a subject + past simple verb. "I'd rather you drove" uses the past tense to express a present wish — similar to how unreal conditionals work.
The correct answers are reading, to go, and than.
"Enjoy" is always followed by the "-ing" form: "enjoys reading." With "would prefer," we use "to + infinitive": "would prefer to go." The structure "would prefer to … rather than …" links the two choices.
The correct answers are would rather and prefer to.
"Would rather" + bare infinitive (stay) is correct. "Prefer to" + bare infinitive (stay) is also correct. "Would prefer" needs "to" before the verb ("would prefer to stay"), so it doesn't work here without "to." "Rather would" reverses the word order incorrectly, and "would rather to" adds an unnecessary "to."
The correct answers are didn't and cooked.
When we use "would rather" to talk about what we want someone else to do, we use the past simple — even though we're talking about the present or future. "I'd rather you didn't leave…" and "Would you rather I cooked…?" both follow this pattern.
A travel blogger is writing about her habits. Help her complete this diary entry by choosing the correct option.
I prefer ___ by train to ___ by plane.
The correct answer is travelling ... flying.
When using "prefer" to talk about general preferences, we use the pattern "prefer + verb-ing + to + verb-ing." The preposition "to" connects the two gerunds: "prefer travelling to flying." Note that both gerunds must match in form — you cannot mix a gerund with an infinitive or a bare verb in this pattern.
The correct answers are I'd rather you didn't play videos here and I'd prefer it if you didn't play videos here.
When we use "would rather" to talk about what we want someone else to do, we use a past tense verb (didn't play), not the present tense (don't) or "wouldn't." This past tense expresses a present preference — it does not refer to the past! Similarly, "I'd prefer it if you didn't…" uses the same past tense structure to express a polite present wish.
Help Marco describe his weekend plans by choosing the correct word for each gap. 🎉
On Saturdays, I prefer swimming to running. But this Saturday, I'd prefer to go to the cinema instead. My parents prefer cooking at home to eating out.
I prefer swimming to running.
With "prefer" for general habits, we use the -ing form: "prefer doing something to doing something else."
I'd prefer to go to the cinema.
With "would prefer" for a specific occasion, we use the to-infinitive: "I'd prefer to go…"
My parents prefer cooking at home to eating out.
For general preferences using the pattern "prefer … to …," we use -ing forms on both sides: "prefer cooking to eating out."
The correct answers are I'd rather have pasta than rice, I prefer pasta to rice, and I'd rather not eat anything spicy tonight.
"Would rather" is followed by the bare infinitive (without "to"), so "I'd rather to have" and "I'd rather having" are both incorrect. "Prefer" takes a noun + "to" + noun. To make "would rather" negative, we add "not" before the verb: "I'd rather not eat."
Marco hates horror movies. Help him politely decline his friend's invitation. Choose the grammatically correct sentence.
The correct answer is I'd rather not watch a horror movie.
To make "would rather" negative, place "not" directly before the base verb: "would rather not + verb." The negation does not attach to "would" or use "don't."
The correct answers are She prefers walking to driving, She'd rather walk than drive, and She prefers to walk rather than drive.
With "prefer," we use the pattern "prefer A to B" (with gerunds) or "prefer to do A rather than do B." With "would rather," we always use "than" (not "to") to compare: "would rather A than B." Mixing up "to" and "than" between these structures is a very common mistake!
Your friend suggests going to a noisy club tonight, but you're not feeling it. Choose the correct way to express your preference.
I'd rather ___ at home tonight.
The correct answer is stay.
After "would rather," we use the bare infinitive (the verb without "to"). So it's "I'd rather stay," not "I'd rather to stay" or "I'd rather staying."
Clause
Clause vs phrase: a clause has a subject + verb (she runs); a phrase does not (in the morning, running fast). This is the first distinction to make when analysing sentence structure.
A clause is a grammatical unit built around a verb: independent clauses make complete sentences; dependent clauses attach to them as modifiers or complements.
Diagnostic: find the verb. If there's a subject doing or being something → clause. If there's no subject-verb pair → phrase.
Comparative and superlative
Comparative vs superlative: comparative compares two things (taller than); superlative picks the extreme from three or more (the tallest). If there are only two options, never use the superlative — the taller of the two, not the tallest of the two.
Comparatives use -er or more; superlatives use -est or most. Short adjectives take suffixes; longer ones take more/most. A small irregular set (good/better/best) follows no pattern.
Diagnostic: how many items are being compared? Two → comparative. Three+ → superlative. Also: never double up (more better is always wrong).
Conjunction
Coordinating vs subordinating conjunction: coordinating (and, but, or) joins two elements of equal rank — clause + clause, noun + noun. Subordinating (because, although, if) makes one clause depend on the other. The test: remove the conjunction. If both halves still feel complete → coordinating. If one half collapses → subordinating.
Conjunctions are connecting words for clauses, phrases, and words. The choice between coordinating and subordinating determines whether you're building a compound or complex sentence.
Diagnostic: does the conjunction create a dependent clause? Yes → subordinating. Does it link equals? → coordinating.
Gerund
Gerund vs infinitive: the biggest source of errors for non-native speakers. Some verbs take only gerund (enjoy reading ✅), some only infinitive (want to read ✅), some take both with different meanings (stop reading ≠ stop to read). There's no logical rule — these must be learned by verb.
A gerund is the -ing verb form used as a noun. After prepositions = always gerund. After certain verbs (enjoy, avoid, finish) = always gerund. After to (preposition, not infinitive marker) = gerund (I look forward to seeing you).
Diagnostic: can you replace the -ing word with "it" or "something"? I enjoy it → yes, it's acting as a noun = gerund.
Infinitive
Infinitive vs gerund: the #1 verb-pattern confusion. Some verbs take only infinitive (want to go ✅), some only gerund (enjoy going ✅), some both with different meanings (stop to smoke ≠ stop smoking). No logical rule exists — learn by verb.
The infinitive = base verb form used non-finitely. To-infinitive (to go) after certain verbs. Bare infinitive (go) after modals and causatives.
Diagnostic: what's the main verb? Check whether it takes to-infinitive, bare infinitive, or gerund. If unsure, try both and see which sounds natural to native speakers.
Modal verb
Must vs should vs might: the most confused modal trio. Must = strong obligation/near-certainty. Should = advice/expectation. Might = possibility. Getting these wrong changes the force of your statement: You must see a doctor (urgent) vs You should see a doctor (advice) vs You might need a doctor (maybe).
Modal verbs are auxiliaries that encode modality: ability (can), permission (may), necessity (must), advice (should), possibility (might), future (will).
Diagnostic: what meaning are you adding? Obligation → must/have to. Advice → should. Possibility → might/could. Ability → can. Future → will.
Negation
Single vs double negatives: standard English uses ONE negative per clause (I don't see anything or I see nothing). Double negatives (I don't see nothing) are grammatical in many languages and some English dialects, but are non-standard in written/formal English. This is the #1 negation trap for speakers of Spanish, Russian, and French.
Negation = not after auxiliary/modal, or do-support. Negative words (never, nobody, nothing) negate alone without adding not.
Diagnostic: count the negatives in the clause. More than one? → double negative. Fix by replacing one with a positive (anything, anyone, ever).
Past tense
Simple past vs past perfect: simple past puts events on the main timeline (I arrived. She left.). Past perfect marks an event as earlier than another past event (She had left before I arrived). If all events are in sequence, simple past is enough. Only use past perfect when you need to show "earlier than the main story."
The past tense has four forms encoding different temporal relationships: simple past, past progressive, past perfect, past perfect progressive.
Diagnostic: are events in sequence? → simple past is fine. Need to show one event happened before another past event? → past perfect for the earlier one.
Preposition
Preposition vs particle: same words (in, on, up, off), different jobs. A preposition links to a noun (look at the book). A particle changes verb meaning without a noun (give up = quit). Test: is there a noun/pronoun after it forming a prepositional phrase? → preposition. Does it change the verb's meaning? → particle in a phrasal verb.
A preposition = small word connecting a noun to the sentence (time, place, manner, relationship). Choice is idiomatic per verb/adjective combination.
Diagnostic: struggling with which preposition to use? It's almost never about logic — look up the specific verb/adjective + preposition combination.
Subjunctive mood
Subjunctive vs indicative: indicative states facts (He goes every day). Subjunctive marks unreality (I suggest he go; If I were you). The subjunctive drops the -s and insists on were — signalling "this isn't (or may not be) real." In informal speech it's disappearing, but formal/academic writing still expects it.
The subjunctive mood = hypothetical/counterfactual marker. Present subjunctive (base form after suggest/demand/insist that). Past subjunctive (were in unreal conditionals).
Diagnostic: is the clause about something unreal, demanded, or recommended (not yet true)? → subjunctive. Is it factual? → indicative.
Verb
Verb vs noun vs adjective: nouns name things. Adjectives describe. Verbs express what happens or what IS. The test: can it take tense (walked, will walk)? Can it take -ing? Can it follow to as an infinitive (to walk)? Yes to any → verb. English often converts freely between classes (run = noun or verb), so context decides.
A verb = action/state/occurrence word. 5 forms (base, -s, past, past participle, -ing). Carries tense, aspect, mood, voice. The one required element in every sentence.
Diagnostic: does it change for tense (walk → walked)? Can you put to before it (to walk)? Does it take -ing (walking)? → verb.
Verb mood
Mood vs tense: tense tells you WHEN (past/present/future). Mood tells you the speaker's ATTITUDE (fact/command/hypothetical). She goes (indicative + present) vs Go! (imperative) vs I wish she went (subjunctive + past form but present meaning). Mood and tense work independently.
Verb mood = attitude marking. Indicative (facts), imperative (commands), subjunctive (unreal), conditional (dependent). Each uses different verb forms or auxiliaries.
Diagnostic: is the speaker stating a fact? → indicative. Commanding? → imperative. Imagining something unreal? → subjunctive. Expressing what would happen under a condition? → conditional.
Verb tense
Tense vs aspect: tense locates the action in TIME (past/present/future). Aspect describes its SHAPE — is it completed (perfect), ongoing (progressive), or just a fact (simple)? English combines these independently: was working = past (tense) + progressive (aspect). Confusing tense with aspect is why the 12-form grid feels overwhelming.
Verb tense = 3 time references × 3 aspects = 12 forms. Tense says when; aspect says how the action unfolds relative to that time.
Diagnostic: wrong time? → tense error. Right time but wrong "shape" (e.g., I work here for ten years instead of I've worked)? → aspect error.
Word order
English (SVO) vs other patterns: English relies on word ORDER to show who does what (Dog bites man ≠ Man bites dog). Inflected languages (Latin, Russian, German) use case endings and can scramble order freely. In English, changing order changes meaning or requires special constructions (inversion, cleft sentences).
Word order = how English marks grammatical relationships. SVO is the default; fixed adjective order; adverb placement varies by type.
Diagnostic: does your sentence sound "off" even though all word forms are correct? → probably a word order issue. Try moving the element back to default SVO position.
A2 | Elementary | Pre-intermediate
A2 vs B1: A2 handles routine transactions and simple past narration. B1 handles connected discourse, explaining reasons, and understanding main points in clear standard speech. If you can tell what happened but not why it matters, you're still A2.
A2 is the elementary level of the CEFR: past simple, present perfect, first conditional, basic modals, and routine communication about familiar topics.
Diagnostic: can you link ideas with because, although, so that and hold a conversation beyond scripted topics? No → A2. Yes → moving into B1.
B1 | Intermediate
B1 vs B2: B1 handles standard everyday communication and simple opinions. B2 handles abstract topics, sustained arguments, and nuanced register. If you can chat about your life but struggle to debate an issue or write a formal essay, you're B1.
B1 is the intermediate CEFR level: independent handling of familiar topics, second conditional, basic passive, reported speech, and linking words for cause and contrast.
Diagnostic: can you read a newspaper article on a familiar topic and summarise the argument? Comfortably → B2. Struggle with abstractions → still B1.
B2 | Upper Intermediate
B2 vs C1: B2 means effective communication on complex topics with some effort. C1 means effortless fluency with precise register control. If you can argue a point but still reach for words and make structural slips under pressure, you're B2.
B2 is the upper-intermediate CEFR level: mixed conditionals, complex passives, reported speech with backshift, participle clauses, and sustained written argument.
Diagnostic: does your writing read as "competent non-native" or "could be native"? The former → B2. The latter → C1.
Medium
Medium vs Easy: Easy has one obviously correct answer and clearly wrong distractors. Medium has one correct answer but plausible distractors — you need to actually know the rule, not just guess from sound.
The Medium tag filters for A2–B1 challenges with realistic difficulty: one rule per question, plausible alternatives, everyday contexts.
Diagnostic: if you're scoring 90%+ on Easy, move here. If you're below 60% on Medium, go back to Easy for that topic. Target 70–80% accuracy for maximum learning.