Would Rather and Would Sooner
Would rather and would sooner are basically identical to each other in meaning.
They can be used interchangeably or in different contexts.
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to use them and practise.
How to use would rather and would sooner?
Would rather and would sooner are identical in meaning.
They both mean that you prefer to do something.
- Would rather is more common in everyday conversation.
- Would sooner is more commonly used in formal situations.
- Would sooner can also be used when you want a stronger tone than would rather.
Structure: would rather/sooner + (not) + infinitive
Structure: would rather/sooner + subject + past simple verb
E.g. They’d rather we finished the painting now.
- We can also contract to make I’d rather/sooner.
Examples
I'd rather stay at home tonight.
We'd sooner get a taxi than a bus.
She'd rather go for an Italian.
Practise
Answer the questions about would rather and would sooner.
Common mistakes learners make
- Using to + verb instead of rather/sooner + verb
- Using to instead of than to make comparisons
Common mistakes learners make
- Using to + verb instead of rather/sooner + verb
- Using to instead of than to make comparisons