WOULD RATHER / WOULD SOONER + bare infinitive
Would rather/sooner is followed by a bare infinitive if the subject of would rather/sooner is the same as the doer of the action expressed by the following verb.
WOULD RATHER / WOULD SOONER + simple or continuous infinitive
Would rather/sooner + simple or continuous infinitive expresses preferences about the present:
I'
d rather go
by bike than walk.
(I'd prefer to go by bike rather than walk.)
Where
would
you
rather sleep
?
(Where would you prefer to sleep?)
I'
d rather be writing
my paper.
(I'd prefer to be writing my paper.)
The negative is would rather not:
I
would rather not go out
tonight.
(I'd prefer not to go out tonight.)
If we leave out rather, we get the main clause of a sentence in the second conditional:
Where
would
you
sleep
(if you could choose)?
Quotes:
I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck. - Emma Goldman
Related topics:
Second conditional
WOULD RATHER / WOULD SOONER + perfect infinitive
Would rather/sooner + perfect infinitive expresses preferences about the past and means that the desired action was not performed:
Would
you
rather have had
pork than beef?
(Would you have preferred pork to beef?)
I'
d rather have walked
, but I went by bus because it was raining.
(I would have liked to walk, but I went by bus because it was raining.)
If we omit rather, we get the main clause of a sentence in the third conditional:
I
would have walked
(if it hadn't been raining).
Related topics:
Third conditional