當我們要表達「喜歡茶多於咖啡」這種「偏好」時,最常使用的字就是prefer了。可是除了prefer之外,表達類似概念的還有rather與rather than。該如何使用這些字詞?它們之間的有那些差異?在這篇學習文章中,我們將一次告訴你!
Prefer用法:喜歡A多於B
Prefer表示「偏好」,字義本身就有比較級的意義。例句:
• I like coffee, but I prefer tea.
= I prefer tea to coffee.
(我喜歡茶多於咖啡。)
常見錯誤:I prefer tea than coffee.
prefer + V-ing 1 + to + V-ing 2:比較兩個動作
除了利用「prefer + N1 + to + N2」的句型來比較兩個名詞,我們可以用「prefer + V-ing 1 + to + V-ing 2」的句型來比較兩個動作。例句:
• James prefers watching basketball to playing it.
(比起打籃球,James更喜歡看籃球比賽。)
prefer + to + V:偏好做某事
例句
• We could eat out if you'd like, but I'd prefer to eat at home.
(如果你想的話我們可以去外面吃飯,不過我比較想在家裡吃。)
• Denis prefers to wear clothes that make him look younger.
(Denis喜歡穿讓他看起來比較年輕的衣服。)
✔︎ 要表達「喜歡做A多於做B」,或者「寧願做A而不要做B」,我們可以使用以下三種句型:
prefer + V-ing1 + to + V-ing2
= prefer + to V1 + rather than + V2
= would rather + V1 + than + V2
例句:
Amy prefers eating at home to eating out.
= Amy prefers to eat at home rather than eat out.
= Amy would rather eat at home than eat out.
(Amy寧願在家裡吃飯,也不願意外食。)
Rather than:寧願;而不是
Rather than可當「連接詞」與「介系詞」。除了表達「偏好」,也可以表達「選擇」,經常可與instead of替換使用。例句:
• I think I'll have a beer rather than wine.
= I think I'll have a beer instead of wine.
(我想來杯啤酒而不是葡萄酒。)
• Lilly wants to become an actress rather than a singer.
(Lilly想當演員而不是歌手。)
• Tom decided to quit rather than go back to the office life.
(Tom決定辭職,而不是回去當上班族。)
常見錯誤:Tom decided to quit rather than to go back to the office life.
• Although starved, the man ate slowly rather than quickly.
(雖然肚子很餓,那個男子吃得很慢,而不是很快。)
• Next time, could you buy red rather than green peppers?
(你下次可以買紅椒而不是青椒嗎?)
• Rather than taking the metro, we walked home.
(我們走路而不是搭捷運回家。)
• The director took the blame rather than blaming everyone else.
(主任認錯扛起責任,而不是責怪其他所有人。)
Would rather:寧願;偏好
Would rather與prefer的意義一樣,都表達偏好。例句:
• Sam would rather quit than apologize to Helen.
(Sam寧願辭職也不要跟Helen道歉。)
常見錯誤:Sam would rather to quit than apologize to Helen.
• Would you rather eat in or take out?
(你想內用還是外帶?)
• I'd (= I would) rather not go out tonight.
(我今天晚上不想出門。)
練習
選擇正確答案。
-
The president would _____ help boost poor working families' incomes through tax breaks.
(A) prefer
(B) prefer to
(C) rather to
(D) rather than
-
The chef prefers cooking with olive oil _____ butter.
(A) to
(B) than
(C) rather
(D) rather than
-
A lot of consumers would rather have a simple product that actually works _____ something fancy that is just not reliable.
(A) to
(B) than
(C) rather
(D) rather than
解析
- 根據文意,總統「偏好」用減稅的方式來幫助提升貧窮薪資家庭的薪資,所以選(B)。(A) 錯誤:如果用prefer的話,後面要接動名詞helping。(C)錯誤:如果用rather的話,後面不可接不定詞to。
- 根據語意,主廚煮菜時偏好用橄欖油,「而不是」奶油,所以選(D)。
- 根據語意,許多消費者比較喜歡簡單有用的產品,「而不是」花俏但不耐用的東西。
結論
本篇學習文章說明prefer、rather、rather than這三個字詞的用法與差異。如果學員想完整學習英文文法,我們推薦巨匠美語的文法課程。巨匠與專業的文法老師合作,將文法結合聽說讀寫等課堂遊戲,讓你用有趣的方式,有效率地學習英文文法。
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