Would rather & Would sooner
Learn how to express preferences using would rather and would sooner.
- check_circleI can express current and future preferences using would rather and would sooner.
- check_circleI can express preferences about other people's actions using would rather + subject + past simple.
Discover
Meet today's English in a real situation — no rules yet. Read it once and try to guess the pattern in the words in bold. Underlined words open a short definition.
Mark: Hey, are we still going to that crowded party tonight?
Sarah: Actually, I**’d rather not go**. I’m exhausted. I**’d sooner just order** a pizza and relax.
Mark: Oh, really? I**’d rather you told** me earlier! I already bought a gift for the host.
Sarah: I’m sorry. We can still go if you want, but I**’d rather we stayed** for just an hour. Is that okay?
Mark: That’s fine. I’d rather we compromise than argue about it. But please, next time, I**’d rather you didn’t leave** it to the last minute to tell me!
Sarah: You’re right. I’ll let you know sooner next time so you don’t feel rushed.
Learn
Now the rules behind what you just saw — explained simply, with examples. Underlined words open a short definition — hover on desktop, tap on a phone.
When we talk about preferences in English, we often use would rather and would sooner. They mean the same thing and are followed by an infinitive without to.
Would rather is much more common than would sooner, but they are interchangeable. You will often see them contracted as ’d rather or ’d sooner.
1. Same subject: would rather + base verb
When the person expressing the preference is the same person doing the action, use would rather + the base form of the verb (infinitive without to).
I would rather stay home tonight and bingewatch a series.
She**’d sooner go** by train than fly.
To make it negative, add not before the base verb.
I**’d rather not talk** about it. It’s a sore subject.
We**’d rather not go** to that restaurant.
2. Different subject: would rather + subject + past simple
When you are expressing a preference about what someone else does, the structure changes. You must use would rather + the person + past simple. Even though we use the past tense, we are talking about the present or future.
I would rather you stayed home tonight. (I want you to stay home tonight)
He would rather we didn’t use his computer. (He doesn’t want us to use it)
Common Mistake: Spanish speakers often use the present subjunctive here because it translates to preferiría que te quedes. In English, you must use the past simple!
I would rather you stay here.
I would rather you stayed here.
- Same person: would rather + base verb (I’d rather go)
- Same person negative: would rather not + base verb (I’d rather not go)
- Different person: would rather + person + past simple (I’d rather you went)
- Different person negative: would rather + person + didn’t + base verb (I’d rather you didn’t go)
Practice
Try it yourself. You'll see right away whether you got it right, plus a short explanation of why.
Use It
Now make the language yours in a real task. Use the prompt below — the editor keeps a simple word count, and nothing is saved or graded.
Before you finish — be honest. Can you do these now?