Would Rather
Level B1 · Modals
would rather (or 'd rather) expresses a preference — what someone prefers to do, out of two or more options. It has two different grammar patterns depending on whether the preference is about the speaker's own action or about someone else's action. I'd rather stay home tonight expresses the speaker's own preference; I'd rather you stayed home tonight expresses a preference about what someone else does.
Two patterns, depending on who does the action:
- would rather + base verb (no to) = a preference about your own action: I'd rather walk than drive. Would you rather have tea or coffee? She'd rather not go to the party.
- would rather + subject + past simple = a preference about someone else's action (even though the meaning is present or future, not past): I'd rather you stayed home tonight (I prefer that you stay home — not that you stayed in the past). She'd rather he called her tomorrow.
- would rather + have + past participle = a preference about the past, something you now wish had (or hadn't) happened: I'd rather have stayed home last night (I wish I had stayed home). He'd rather not have said that.
- The negative of the 'own action' pattern is would rather not + base verb: I'd rather not talk about it. The negative of the 'other person' pattern uses didn't: I'd rather you didn't tell anyone.
The most common mistake is adding to after would rather — I'd rather to stay home is wrong; would rather takes a bare base verb, with no to: I'd rather stay home. A second mistake is using a base verb instead of the past simple when talking about someone else's action — I'd rather you stay home (present) instead of I'd rather you stayed home (correct pattern for someone else's action, even with present/future meaning).
Check who performs the action: if it's the speaker's own action, use would rather + base verb (no to). If it's about someone else's action, use would rather + subject + past simple, even though the meaning is present or future. If the preference looks back at something already done (or not done), use would rather + have + past participle.