Prefer、Rather、Rather Than 用法完全攻略，一次搞懂差異！

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。

1. The president would _____ help boost poor working families' incomes through tax breaks.
   (A) prefer
   (B) prefer to
   (C) rather to
   (D) rather than

2. The chef prefers cooking with olive oil _____ butter.
   (A) to
   (B) than
   (C) rather
   (D) rather than

3. 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

1. 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。
2. 根據語意，主廚煮菜時偏好用橄欖油，「而不是」奶油，所以選(D)。
3. 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。