Expression of Preferences

How to Ask Preference

• Which do you prefer tea or coffee?
• Which do you prefer drinking science or physics?
• Which do you prefer to drink juice or mineral water? (Notice: prefer to + present simple)
• Which do you like better basketball or football?
• Do you prefer pizza or spaghetti?
• Would you prefer to eat a cake or a fruit?
• Would you rather eat a cake or a fruit?

How to Answer Question about Preference

• I prefer baseball.
• I'd prefer to drink juice
• I'd rather drink mineral water
• If I had a choice, I would eat a sandwich.
• A cup of coffee would be suitable.

Useful Pattern (prefer, would prefer, would rather)
Followed by a different verb form:

• I prefer living in a city. (followed by the gerund; the '-ing' ending)
• I would prefer to be told the truth. (followed by the infinitive; to+ the verb)
• Would you rather stay at a hotel? (followed by the base form of the verb; the verb without 'to'.

prefer, would prefer – go with 'to'

• I'd prefer living in a city to living in the country.
• I would (I'd) prefer being alone to being with the wrong person.

would rather – goes with 'than'

• I would (I'd) rather talk to him in person than call him on the phone.