expressing preferences

M

Magg

Senior Member
Spain
Spain / Spanish
Hi all,

I've been revising the use of 'prefer' and 'I'd rather' in order to show preferences. I can't think of any other structure to get the same. Are there more possibilities? Would you give me a hand?

Thanks a lot,
Magg
 
    • Magg said:
    Hi all,

    I've been revising the use of 'prefer' and 'I'd rather' in order to show preferences. I can't think of any other structure to get the same. Are there more possibilities? Would you give me a hand?

    Thanks a lot,
    Magg
    Click to expand...

    Do you mean in English or in Spanish Magg?? I think it's English, isn't it??

    1) Would sooner do sth: if you would sooner do sth, you would very much prefer to do it esp. instead of sth else that you dislike or that is unpleasant.
    "Marry him? I'd sooner die!"
    "He's the kind of person who'd sooner help people than make money out of them"


    2) Preferably (but then you use the word "prefer")
    "Come early in the week - on Monday preferably"


    3) Preferable/to
    "As far as I'm concerned anything would be preferable to staying here alone"
    "Our preferable course of action is to do nothing until the report is published"

    4) Preferred (method/option/course)
    "Yes, that would be my preferred course of action. Do you think it is possible?"




    Art :) :p ;)
     
    Hi Artrella,

    Yes, you're right, I meant English.
    Thanks for your contribution, all of them are good examples for me to learn.

    Magg
     
    Hi Magg
    How about I'd choose.... (chocolate!!)
    or even I'd opt for ..... (chocolate!!)
    or maybe My favourite would be ..... (chocolate!!)

    Philippa :) :)
     
    Hi Philippa

    I'll write down yours, too. I think they're more everyday use and Art's as more formal. Tomorrow I'll try to put them into real speech in my oral classes.

    Cheers
    Magg
     
    Magg said:
    Hi Philippa

    I'll write down yours, too. I think they're more everyday use and Art's as more formal. Tomorrow I'll try to put them into real speech in my oral classes.

    Cheers
    Magg
    Click to expand...

    Opt is fairly formal/rare, I think. I'd sooner .... is pretty informal.
     
    Philippa said:
    Opt is fairly formal/rare, I think. I'd sooner .... is pretty informal.
    Click to expand...

    I see what you mean.

    You know what Philippa? When I come across a word with a Latin origin, which is by the way more familiar and easily to recognize for me as Spanish, I always tend to put it in the 'easy' part 'cause the Saxon origin is the one that is more difficult, and I think that has been my reaction when I first saw the expression. Now that you commented the point, I see what you mean.

    Thanks for the clarification.

    Magg
     
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