Prefer Practice Tests with B2 Grammar Rules & Examples

Prefer: Expressing Preferences in English

We use prefer to talk about liking one thing more than another. It is stronger than simply saying you like something — it means you choose it over something else. At the B2 level, it is important to use prefer accurately with a range of structures, including infinitives, gerunds, and comparisons.

Here are some quick examples before we explore the rules in detail:

• I prefer classical music to pop music.
• She prefers to travel by train rather than by plane.
• They would prefer to stay at home tonight.

Prefer: The Core Structures

There are several grammatical patterns for using prefer. Each one has a slightly different meaning or context. Let's look at each one carefully.

Structure 1: Prefer + Noun/Gerund + To + Noun/Gerund

This is the most common structure. Use it to make a general preference — something you always or usually prefer.

Pattern:
Subject + prefer + noun/gerund + to + noun/gerund

Important: The word between the two options is to, not than. This is one of the most common mistakes learners make.

• I prefer coffee to tea. (noun + to + noun)
• He prefers swimming to running. (gerund + to + gerund)
• We prefer working from home to commuting every day. (gerund phrase + to + gerund phrase)
• She prefers reading to watching television.

Note on gerunds: A gerund is the -ing form of a verb used as a noun. For example: swimming, reading, working. When you use verbs after prefer … to, always use the gerund form, not the infinitive.

Structure 2: Prefer + To-Infinitive

You can also use prefer followed by a to-infinitive. This structure is often used when you talk about what someone prefers to do in general, without necessarily comparing two things directly.

Pattern:
Subject + prefer + to + base verb

• I prefer to travel alone.
• She prefers to handle problems directly.
• We prefer to meet in person rather than online.

When you do want to compare two actions using this structure, you use rather than (not to) before the second option. After rather than, you can use either the base verb (infinitive without to) or the gerund.

Pattern:
Subject + prefer + to + base verb + rather than + base verb/gerund

• I prefer to walk to work rather than take the bus.
• She prefers to cook her own meals rather than eating out.
• They prefer to pay in cash rather than using a credit card.
• He prefers to speak directly rather than send an email.

Structure 3: Would Prefer + To-Infinitive

Use would prefer to talk about what someone wants in a specific situation, especially when making or responding to suggestions, offers, or decisions. This is different from the general preference expressed by prefer alone.

Pattern:
Subject + would prefer + to + base verb

The contraction of would is 'd, so I would prefer is often written as I'd prefer.

• I'd prefer to leave early tomorrow.
• She would prefer to sit by the window.
• Would you prefer to pay now or later?
• They'd prefer to discuss it privately.

Again, you can add rather than to compare two options in a specific situation:

• I'd prefer to take the afternoon flight rather than travel overnight.
• He'd prefer to negotiate the price rather than accept the first offer.

Structure 4: Would Prefer + Object + To-Infinitive

When you want to say what you would prefer someone else to do, use this structure:

Pattern:
Subject + would prefer + object + to + base verb

• I'd prefer you to call me before you visit.
• She'd prefer her team to submit the report by Friday.
• Would you prefer me to wait outside?
• They'd prefer their children to study medicine.

This is a polite and formal way of expressing a preference about another person's actions. It is commonly used in professional and formal contexts.

Prefer in Questions and Negative Sentences

Questions with Prefer

To form a question with prefer (simple present), use the auxiliary do/does:

• Do you prefer tea or coffee?
• Does she prefer to work alone?
• Do they prefer living in the city?

To form a question with would prefer, simply invert the subject and would:

• Would you prefer to sit inside or outside?
• Would she prefer to be contacted by phone?

Negative Sentences with Prefer

To make prefer negative, use do not / don't or does not / doesn't:

• I don't prefer to work late. (I'd rather not work late.)

Note: In practice, the negative of prefer is rarely used because it sounds unnatural. Instead, native speakers usually use would rather not or simply restructure the sentence. For example:

• ❌ I don't prefer going by bus. (unusual)
• ✅ I'd rather not go by bus. (natural)
• ✅ I prefer going by train to going by bus. (natural)

Prefer vs. Would Rather

Prefer and would rather are similar in meaning — both express preference. However, they follow different grammatical rules.

Key difference to remember: After would prefer, always use to + base verb. After would rather, always use the base verb alone (no to).

• I'd prefer to stay. ✅
• I'd rather stay. ✅
• I'd rather to stay. ❌

Important Differences and Special Cases

General Preference vs. Specific Preference

The choice between prefer and would prefer depends on whether you are talking about a general habit or a specific situation.

• I prefer to cook at home. → This is always true. It is a general habit.
• I'd prefer to cook at home tonight. → This is about one specific evening.

To vs. Rather Than

Both to and rather than can link two options in a preference statement, but they are used in different structures.

• Use to after prefer + noun/gerund: I prefer tea to coffee.
• Use rather than after prefer/would prefer + to-infinitive: I'd prefer to drink tea rather than coffee.

Parallelism: Keep the Forms Consistent

When comparing two verbs, make sure both sides of the comparison use the same grammatical form. This is called parallelism.

• ✅ She prefers swimming to running. (gerund + to + gerund)
• ❌ She prefers swimming to run. (mixed forms)
• ✅ I'd prefer to drive rather than take the train. (base verb + rather than + base verb)

Common Mistakes

❌ I prefer tea than coffee.
✅ Use "to" not "than": I prefer tea to coffee.

❌ She prefers to swim to run.
✅ Use "rather than" when comparing infinitives: She prefers to swim rather than run.

❌ I'd prefer staying at home.
✅ Use "to" + base verb after "would prefer": I'd prefer to stay at home.

❌ I'd rather to go by train.
✅ No "to" after "would rather": I'd rather go by train.

❌ He prefers swimming than cycling.
✅ Use "to" not "than": He prefers swimming to cycling.

❌ They prefer to eat at home than eating out.
✅ Use "rather than" with the to-infinitive structure: They prefer to eat at home rather than eat out.

❌ I would prefer you call me later.
✅ Include "to" before the verb: I would prefer you to call me later.

Prefer: Quick Summary

Here is an overview of all the key prefer structures at a glance:

Key rules to remember:

• Use to (not than) after prefer + noun/gerund.
• Use rather than after prefer/would prefer + to-infinitive.
• Use to + base verb after would prefer.
• Would rather is similar to would prefer but is followed by a bare infinitive (no to).
• Keep both sides of a comparison in the same grammatical form (parallelism).

Now practise prefer in the exercises below.