would rather的用法(美国英语中多用had rather )
一、概述。
1.含义。“宁愿/可,更/最好,还是…为好”。
2.用法。常+V原,常省略为’d rather,表优先选择的一种方式 。无人称,数,词性,时态变化,所有的人称情况均用would rather.
3.否定形式。would rather not do sth。例: Mr Li would rather not listen to rock music
4.would /had在此决无“过去”之意,它是一个情态助动词。
If you’d rather be alone, we’ll all leave here. 如果你宁愿独自呆着,那我们都离开这儿。 He’d rather work in the countryside. 她宁可到农村去工作。
二、扩展。
1.在两者中取舍,表“宁愿……而不愿……/与其……宁可……”时,则可用would rather…than…或would…rather than…句型.
例: I would rather watch TV at home than go to the cinema.
The children would walk there rather than take a bus.
2.也可以颠倒为:rather than…would… 例:Rather than work in such bad condition, he would give up
3.Would(rather)和than后都接不带to的动词不定式,若选同一动词,那么than 后的动词可以省略。
例: I would rather have noodles than rice.
4.要注意“平行结构”,即在than 的前后要用两个同类的词或词组,如两个n、两个不定式、两个介短等。
例: I would rather go to work by bike than by bus.
@I would rather talk with his mother than with his father.
5.在疑问句式中,短语中的would要放在主语之前。
例: Would you rather stay here or go home?
@Which would you rather have, apples or bananas?
三、would rather+从句,常用的虚拟语气句型,谓语一般用过去时来表示现在或将来。 其意为“宁愿……,还是…… 好些”“一个人宁愿另一个人做某事”。
引导从句的that常省略。在谈到过去的动作时,谓语则用过去完成时。
例: John wants to see me today. I would rather he came to tomorrow than today. 句中came不是表示过去而是表示将来.
注意:如果谈到过去的动作,也就是表示过去已经发生的事情在选择上不恰当。
此时,主句一般为I had rather ,其(that)从句则用过去完成时。 例 Would rather you had not done that.
@如果只涉及主语本人而不涉及另一个人,则would rather之后不接that从句而接have done结构。
例: I would rather have gone to the theatre than stayed home night.
四、would rather/sooner和prefer/would prefer的区别。
would rather和would sooner之间一般没有区别,但经常接触到的是would rather。 例:Tom would rather/sooner read than talk./ Tom prefers reading to talking.
注意:would rather后跟不带to的不定式+than+不带 to的不定式,而prefer后跟动名词+to+动名词。
有时prefer后面也可跟名词,而在would rather之后要求只带动词原形。
例: He prefers wine to beer.= He would rather drink wine than beer.