The Grammaring Guide to English Grammar with Exercises

WOULD RATHER / WOULD SOONER + clause

Would rather/sooner is followed by a clause if the subject of would rather/sooner is different from the doer of the action expressed by the following verb.

WOULD RATHER / WOULD SOONER + clause with the past subjunctive

Would rather/sooner + clause with the past subjunctive expresses that we would like someone else to do something.

I

'd rather

you

didn't smoke

in here.

(I'd prefer you not to smoke in here.)

Tim

would sooner

I

returned

his camera.

(Tim would like me to return his camera.)

Where

would

you

rather

I

slept

?

(Where would you prefer me to sleep?)

This pattern can be rephrased by using a second conditional with prefer:

I

would prefer

it if you

didn't smoke

in here.

Related topics:

Past subjunctive

Second conditional

WOULD RATHER / WOULD SOONER + clause with the past perfect subjunctive

Would rather/sooner + clause with the past perfect subjunctive expresses preferences or wishes about the past. The subject of would rather/sooner and the subject of the subjunctive are different:

I

'd rather

this whole thing

had

never

happened

.

(I wish it had never happened.)

What

would

you

rather

I

had done

?

(What would you have preferred me to do?)

This pattern can be rephrased by using a third conditional with prefer:

I'd prefer it if this whole thing

had

never

happened

.

Related topics:

Past perfect subjunctive

Third conditional