• Would like • Would prefer • Would rather Grammar Presentation • Would like • Would prefer • Would rather

Would like: We use the modal expression ‘would like’ in English to talk about our desires and wants. Would like is a more formal way to say “want.” Here are some Examples . . .

1. I would like to take a trip. 2. Sandra and her husband would like to have a June wedding. 3. Carl would like a raise, but he’s too nervous to ask his boss.

“Would like” can be used for either present or future desires. Present Tense (or general) desires: I would like a house by the ocean. They would like to improve their English. The students would like to take a break. Desires for the Future: 1. I would like to take an Italian class someday. 2. My family would like to visit San Diego soon.

The FORM of would like would like examples=> In the expression would like, which word is an auxiliary and which word is a verb? Auxiliary = Verb = would like This means that you can use ‘would like’ with any subject in English. It’s not necessary to change WOULD. ‘Would like’ can be followed by a noun or a verb. If you want to use a verb after the expression ‘would like’ it must be in the infinitive. examples=>

The infinitive = TO + simple form of verb In English we say . . . I would like TO WIN the lottery. NOT . . . I would like WIN the lottery.

Contractions with would Americans often use contractions in English, especially when speaking. Pronouns can be contracted with WOULD to make the following: like . . . I'd She'd You'd He'd We'd They'd

Practice: 1. Marla wants to find a better paying job. Say the following sentences using WOULD LIKE: 1. Marla wants to find a better paying job. 2. They want to buy a new car soon. 3. I want a new, more comfortable sofa.

Would prefer & Would rather We use the modal expressions “would prefer” and “would rather” to talk about our preferences in English. These two expression mean the same thing and are synonyms for the verb “prefer.”

As with “would like,” “would prefer” and “would rather” can be used for present or future preferences. Here are some Examples . . . Present (or general) preferences: A. Would you prefer coffee or tea? B. I think I would prefer coffee this morning. Future preferences: A. We would rather live near the beach than in the mountains. We would prefer to live near the beach.

The forms of would prefer & would rather Would prefer can be used with either a noun or a verb: They would prefer coffee. They would prefer to drink coffee. noun verb **Notice that if you use a verb with would prefer, the verb is in the infinitive form.

The negative of “would prefer” Use would prefer NOT + infinitive Examples . . . They would prefer NOT to drive because they don’t know this area well. She would prefer NOT to take classes in the afternoon. The morning is more convenient for her to study.

“Would rather” can ONLY be used with either a verb: They would rather have coffee than tea. NOT: They would rather coffee. **Notice that the verb that follows would rather must be in the simple form (NO ‘to’).

The negative of “would rather” Use would rather NOT + simple form Examples . . . We would rather NOT go out tonight because we have to get up early tomorrow. She would rather NOT buy a house in this area because it’s too far from her work.

Contractions: We often use contractions with “would prefer” and “would rather.” Pronouns can be contracted with WOULD to make the following: I would prefer/rather = I’d prefer / I’d rather We would prefer/rather = we’d prefer / we’d rather They’d prefer / They’d rather You’d prefer / You’d rather He’d prefer / He’d rather She’d prefer / She’d rather

More examples: I’d rather visit France than Japan. The students would prefer to do speaking activities in class. We would rather not take a break now. Let’s take a break later. Sam would prefer not to work on Saturdays because he would like to spend time with his family.

Practice . . . Would you prefer to eat Italian food or Chinese food? Would you rather travel to India or China? Would you prefer to work 5 8-hour days or 4 10-hour days? Would you rather have a cat, a dog, or a dog?

For more practice . . . Click on or go to the following website. Do this activity with a partner, if possible: http://www.quia.com/quiz/737156.html