Id rather = I would rather

Id rather = would prefer to

Expresses preference

ACELASI SUBIECT
would rather + present bare infinitive present/future
Id rather spend the afternoon with a good friend.
Id rather not go to class today.

would rather + perfect bare infinitepast

I went out last night but Id rather have stayed in.
She would rather have walked in the park because the weather was fine.

SUBIECTE DIFERITE
would rather + past tensepresent/future

Id rather Ann worked with you.

I would rather she helped me.
I would rather you cooked now.
I would rather you did not smoke now.

would rather + past perfect past

Jennys mother would rather her daughter had learned more.

EXERCISE
1. Now what do you prefer ? Tell your partner.
A holiday at the seaside or in the mountains ?
Id rather spend my holidays at the seaside than in the mountains.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Working from home or from the office ?

Travelling by car or by public transport ?
Going to the cinema or to the theatre ?
Meat of fish as a main course ?
Winter fashion or summer fashion ?
Reading or watching television ?
A dog or a cat ?
Learning vocabulary or grammar ?

PREFER
In order to say what you prefer in general, you can use the verb " to prefer to " :

There are three possibilities of phrasal construction :

I prefer + noun+ to+ noun ( I prefer something to something else)
ex. I prefer this colour to the red one
I prefer + verb-ing + to + verb-ing (to express an usual action prefered)
ex. I prefer walking to going by bus to work
I prefer + to do something + rather than + do something (to express a comparison)
ex. I prefer to go to the cinema rather to watch tv

WOULD PREFER
After would prefer we say: would prefer ... rather than
It's such nice weather - I'd prefer to sit in the garden rather than watch TV.

WOULD RATHER
When making a comparison we say: would rather ... than
It's such nice weather - I'd rather sit in the garden than watch TV.

EXERCISES

Write sentences using " I prefer " (something) " to " ( something else).
Put the verb into the correct form where necessary.
1.( drive / travel by train ) I prefer
2.( tennis / football ) I prefer.
3.( go to the cinema / watch films on TV) I prefer

Write sentences using " I would prefer " or " I would rather "
Eat at home/ listen to some music/ wait till later
Get a taxi/ stand
Go alone/think about it for a while
Go for a swim/ wait a few minutes

Answer the following questions with your own preferences

1. Shall we walk home ? ( prefer)..
2. Do you want to eat now ? ( rather) .
3. Shall we watch TV ? ( prefer)
4. What about a game of tennis ? ( rather)
5. Shall we leave now ? (rather)
6. Do you want to go to a restaurant ? ( prefer)
7. I think we should decide now ? ( rather)
8. Would you like to sit down ? ( prefer)
9. Do you want me to come with you ? ( prefer)

Now write sentences using the comparative form with " would prefer " or " would rather " and " than "
or " rather than "

10. ( get a taxi / walk home) I' d prefer

11. ( go for a swim / play tennis) I' d rather
12. ( wait a few minutes / leave now) I' d rather..
13. ( eat at home / go to a restaurant ) I' d prefer
14. ( think about it for a while / decide now) I' d rather

HAD BETTER= it would be good to

Is used to give strong or urgent advice

Had better+ bare infinitive immediate future

You had better ask for help.
Had Better and Would Rather
Fill the gaps with had/'d better or would/'d rather.
1 It's getting dark. We_______________ go back now.
2 A: Can I borrow your car?
B: You_______________ not!
3 A: Can I borrow your camera?
B: I_______________ you didn't.
4 You know, I_______________ you didn't smoke in front of the kids.
5 You_______________ take insect repellant if you're camping near a lake.
6 I_______________ go to Altea than bloody Benidorm any day.
7 We_______________ you didn't hang out with Craig. He's bad news.
8
9

They_______________ have everything ready for when our clients arrive or I'll skin them alive.
I_______________ not drink on Friday or I won't be in a fit state for the journey.

10 You_______________ take a bit of time to think this one over carefully.

EXERCISE 2
Look at the situations given and write sentences using had better.
1. Mary has been out in the sun. She looks terrible. You think she needs a drink of water.

You tell her: You had better have.a.drink.of water,"

2. You want to speak English better. It requires a lot of practice.

Your teacher tells you: You had better ..

3. Your friend has no insurance to drive your car. He wants to take your car anyway.

You tell him: You had better

4. John has a nasty cut on his hand. It looks like it is infected.

You advise him: You had better .

5. You are at a party. The last bus goes at 12.30 a.m. It's now 12.15 a.m.

You say to your friend: We had better .

Comparative & Superlative Forms

Complete the sentences using the comparative form of the word in brackets:
1.
I was feeling tired last night, so I went to bed ........................................ (early) than usual.
2.
Unfortunately, her illness was ........................................ (serious) than I thought.
3.
You look ........................................ (thin). Have you lost weight?
4.
I know him very well. Probably ........................................ (well) than anyone else.
5.
He did pretty badly in the exam. Much ........................................ (badly) than he thought.
6.
Youre standing too close to the camera. Can you move a bit ..................................... (far) away?
7.
Our manager is ........................................ (interested) in saving costs than investing in new technology.
8.
Youd find your way around town ........................................ (easily) if you had a map.
9.
The solution to the problem was ........................................ (simple) than we thought.
10.
Lets move to the back of this caf. Its ........................................ (quiet) there.
Countable & Uncountable Nouns
Complete the sentences using a/an or some where necessary. If no word is necessary, put a das (--):
1.
Ive seen .............. good films recently.
2.
Whats wrong with you? Have you got .............. headache?
3.
I know .............. lot of people. Most of them are .............. doctors.
4.
When I was .............. child, I used to be shy.
5.
Would you like to be .............. lawyer when you grow up?
6.
Do you collect .............. stamps?
7.
What .............. beautiful painting!
8.
.............. birds, e.g. penguins, cannot fly.
9.
Ive been walking for three hours. Ive got .............. sore feet.
10.
I dont feel very well this morning. Ive got .............. sore throat.
So vs. Such vs. Such a
Complete the sentences using so, such or such a:
1.
Hes difficult to understand because he speaks ................... quickly.
2.
I like Tom and Beth. They are ................... nice people.
3.
It was a great holiday. We had ................... good time.
4.
Everything is ................... expensive these days, isnt it?
5.
It was ................... boring film I almost fell asleep.
6.
There is no ................... word as blid.
7.
I couldnt believe the news. It was ................... shock.
8.
I didnt expect the weather in Finland to be ................... warm.
9.
I didnt realize you live ................... long way from work.
10.
He looks ................... tired after every exam.
Passive Voice
Put the verb into the correct passive form:
1.
Theres somebody behind us. I think we ............................................ (follow).
2.
A mystery is something that ............................................ (can/not/explain).
3.
Ive just called the airport. The flight ............................................ (cancel) due to adverse weather
conditions.
4.
The television ............................................ (fix) by magic! Its working again now.
5.
The painting ............................................ (restore). The work is almost finished.
6.
If I didnt do my job properly, I ............................................ (sack).
7.
After ............................................ (arrest), I was taken to the police station.

8.

a. ............................................ (you/ever/arrest)?
b. No, never.
9.
Two people ............................................ (report) to ............................................ (injure) in explosion this
morning.
10.
a. I cannot find the papers I left on my desk last night.
b. Most probably, they ............................................ (throw) away.

Put the verb into the correct form, active or passive:

1.
Its a big factory. Five hundred people ............................................ (employ) there.
2.
Water ............................................ (cover) most of Earths surface.
3.
The park gates ............................................ (lock) at 6:30 p.m. every evening.
4.
The boat ............................................ (sink) quickly, but fortunately everyone ............................ (rescue).
5.
Rons parents ............................................ (die) when he was little. He ............................................
(bring) up by his aunt and uncle.
6.
I was born in London, but I ............................................ (grow) up in Manchester.
7.
My camera ............................................ (disappear) from the hotel room while I was in the balcony.
8.
This company is a subsidiary. It ............................................ (own) by a much larger company.
9.
I saw an accident last night. Somebody ............................................ (call) an ambulance, but since no
one ............................................ (hurt) the ambulance ............................................ (not/need).
10.
The e-mail ............................................ (send) on Thursday, but for some weird reason it .........................
(arrive) only yesterday.
Put the verb into the correct tense form:
1.
a. Where ............................................ (you/go)?
b. To the post office. Ill be back in a few minutes.
2.
a. Your house is very nice. How long ............................................ (you/live) here?
b. Nearly ten years.
3.
a. ............................................ (you/see) Julie recently?
b. Yes, I met her a few days ago.
4.
a. Can you describe the woman you saw? What ............................................ (she/wear)?
b. A red top and jeans.
5.
a. How long ............................................ (it/take) you to get to work in the morning?
b. About 45 minutes.
6.
a. ............................................ (you/finish) with the newspaper yet?
b. No, Im still reading it.
7.
a. How well do you know Bill?
b. Very well. We ............................................ (know) each other since we were kids.
8.
a. Did you enjoy your holiday?
b. Yes, its the best holiday I ............................................ (ever/have).
9.
a. Is Jack still here?
b. No, he ............................................ (leave) about ten minutes ago.
10.
a. How did you cut your knee?
b. I slipped and fell when I ............................................ (play) tennis.
11. a. How often do you go to the movies?
b. Very rarely. Its nearly a year I ............................................ (not/be) to the cinema.
12. a. Do you like my new shoes?
b. Yes, theyre very nice. Where ............................................ (you/buy) them?

10.

Put the verb into the correct tense form:

1.
Who ............................................ (invent) the bicycle?
2.
a. Do you still have a headache?
b. No, it ............................................ (go). Im alright now.
3.
What ............................................ (you/do) last weekend? ............................................ (you/go) away?
4.
We decided not to go because it ............................................ (rain) quite hard.
5.
Jill is an experienced teacher. She ............................................ (teach) for 15 years.
6.
I bought a new jacket last week but I ............................................ (wear) it yet.
7.
A few days ago, I ............................................ (see) a man at a party whose face ............................................
(look) familiar. At first I couldnt think where I ............................................ (see) him before. Then suddenly I
remembered who he ............................................ (be).
8.
............................................ (you/hear) of Agatha Christie? She was a writer who ......................................... (die)
in 1976. She ............................................ (write) more than 70 novels. ............................................ (read) any of them?
9.
a. What ............................................ (this word / mean)?
b. Ive no idea. I ............................................ (never/see) it before.
10.
I went to Johns office and ............................................ (knock) on the door but there ............................................
(be) no answer. Either he ............................................ (go) out or he ............................................ (not/want) to see
anyone.
11.
Angela asked me how to use the photocopier. She ............................................ (never/use) it before, so she
............................................ (not/know) what to do.
12.
Mary ............................................ (go) for a swim after work yesterday. She ............................................ (need)
some exercise because she ............................................ (sit) all day in front of her computer.

Put the verb into the correct tense form:

1.
Everything is going well. We ............................................ (not/have) any problems so far.
2.
Margaret ............................................ (not/go) to work yesterday. She wasnt feeling well.
3.
Look! That man over there ............................................ (wear) the same sweater as you.
4.
Your son is much taller than when I last saw him. He ............................................ (grow) a lot.
5.
I still dont know what to do. I ............................................ (not/decide) yet.
6.
I wonder why Jim ............................................ (be) nice to me today. He isnt usually like that.
7.
Jane had a book open in front of her but she ............................................ (not/read) it.
8.
When Sue heard the news, she ............................................ (not/be) very pleased.
9.
This is a nice restaurant, isnt it? Is this the first time you ............................................ (be) here?
10.
I need a new job. I ............................................ (do) the same job for too long.
11.
a. You look tired.
b. Yes, I ............................................ (play) basketball.
12.
Where ............................................ (you/come) from? Are you British?