Would rather & Would sooner

Grammar / B1 Grammar lessons and exercises / Would rather & Would sooner

✏️ Exercises

Would Rather & Would Sooner

In this lesson, we’ll learn how to talk about our preferences using the phrases would rather and would sooner. These phrases help us say what we like or want to do—or what we’d like other people to do. Although their meanings are similar to would prefer, their grammar is a little different.

Would rather vs Would sooner: grammar chart showing structures like 'I'd rather stay home' and 'I'd rather you went home'. For B1 English learners.

💡 Did you know? Would sooner has the same meaning as would rather, and the two can be used interchangeably—but would rather is much more common in everyday English.

Basic Structure: Present/Future Preferences

We use would rather / would sooner + bare infinitive (without "to") to express what we prefer to do now or in the future.

I would rather sit inside.

Full form

I’d rather sit inside.

Common contraction

I’d rather stay home than go out.

Correct: bare infinitive

❌ I’d rather to stay home...

Incorrect: no 'to'

❌ I’d rather staying home...

Incorrect: no -ing form

I would rather not have chicken again.

Negative: would rather + not + verb

Questions and Short Replies

Would you rather go by taxi?

Asking about someone’s preference

“Would you like to watch a film?” → “I’d rather not.”

Polite refusal using short form

Thanks, but I’d rather not.

Common in spoken English

Preferences About Others: Past Simple Form

We use would rather / would sooner + subject + past simple to say what we want someone else to do. Even though we use the past simple, the meaning is present or future!

I would rather you went home right now.

I want you to go home (now)

They’d rather their daughter studied something different.

They prefer a different choice for her

Would you rather he came with you?

Question form

I’d rather you didn’t come over.

Negative: subject + didn’t + base verb

Thanks, but I’d rather you didn’t.

Polite negative short reply

❌ I’d rather not you came over.

Incorrect structure

📌 Remember: When the subject is the same before and after would rather, use the bare infinitive. When the subjects are different, use would rather + [other subject] + past simple.

  • ✅ I’d rather wait here. (same subject: I)
  • ✅ I’d rather we waited here. (different subjects: I → we)

🔍 Note: Although would rather is used in most examples, would sooner can replace it in every sentence—though it sounds slightly more formal or old-fashioned.