很多人会在写作中应用 prefer,但是比较少的人能真正正确地使用它。Prefer 用来表达偏好,是一个及物动词,因此后面要接宾语,宾语可以是名词,动名词或不定式。而且它经常与 would 的搭配,因此用法丰富多彩;prefer 不用于进行时,在日常对话中往往听起来很正式。
一、prefer to do sth,prefer doing sth 和 prefer sth
1. prefer to do sth
The donor prefers to remain anonymous.
捐赠者希望不披露姓名。
I prefer to see a woman doctor.
我希望让女医生给我看病。
I prefer not to think about it.
我不想考虑此事。
2. prefer doing sth
She prefers living in the suburbs.In these circumstances, one prefers being alone.Does he prefer a particular sort of music?.注意:prefer to do sth 比 prefer doing sth 更常见。
二、prefer A to/rather than BPrefer A to/rather than B 表示比起 A 更喜欢 B,或宁愿 A 也不愿 B,其中 to 后面接名词或动名词,而 rather than 后面接名词或不带 to 不定式,例如:
We prefer going by ferry to flying.Tom prefers to stay at home rather than go to the cinema tonight.注意:prefer A to (rather than) B 中的 to 或 rather than 不能用 than 代替,例如:✔: She prefers books to magazines.❌: She prefers books than magazines.
三、would prefer ('d prefer) 1. Would prefer 后面接带 to 不定式或名词,用来讨论现在或未来的偏好,例如:I’d prefer to go by myself.She’d prefer not to drive at night.Would you prefer a quieter restaurant?Would you prefer red or white?I would prefer football to basketball.I would prefer city to country.2. 当要表达宁愿做某事也不愿做另外一件事时,用 rather than 引入另一件不愿意做的事,rather than 后面接不带 to 不定式,例如:
I'd prefer to drink tea rather than drink coffee.I’d prefer to go skiing this year rather than go on a beach holiday.3. 当要表达宁愿某人做某事时,用 would prefer ('d prefer) sb to do sth 或 would prefer ('d prefer) + it if + 一般过去时,例如:Would you prefer me to stay?Would you prefer it if I stayed?They’d prefer us to come later.They’d prefer it if we came later.
1. prefer 后面不接不带 to 不定式,例如:✔: Whenever I have time I like to read but I prefer not to read in the evening.❌: Whenever I have time I like to read but I prefer not read in the evening.2. 当与另外一个进行比较时,用 or 或 rather than,不用 than,例如:✔: A lot of young people prefer computer games to football.✔: A lot of young people prefer computer games rather than football.❌: A lot of young people prefer computer games than football.