Would rather
‘Would rather’ suggests what the speaker prefers. ‘Would rather’ is somewhat similar to ‘Would prefer’. After ‘Would rather’ we use headless infinitive (i.e bare root verb without’to’. But after ‘Would prefer’ the root verb is preceded by ‘to’. To explain further ( would rather do something than do something else) EXAMPLES A: What would you rather have , tea or coffee? B: I would rather have coffee. A: What would you suggest we should do, go for the film or see the football match. B: …
Prefer and would rather
PREFER and WOULD RATHER : -Both these two usages have more or less similar expressions. When we want to express the position of our interest in a comparative fashion or style, these usages become handy. For example , suppose, we have more interest in something or in doing something than another alternative, these expressions can be conveniently used. Prefer = like better We can use ‘ Prefer to do’ and ‘Prefer doing’ to say what we prefer in general. Now study the structural alternatives that…
Would prefer
The important thing to note in this case is that we make a comparison here as to which option we like better. Here the extent of application is restricted to the particular context/situation rather than a general preference. That is to say , simply ‘Prefer’ applies to a general preference whereas ‘ Would prefer’ to a specific/particular preference or situation. EXAMPLES A: Which would you prefer, tea or coffee? B: I would prefer coffee, please.( Sometimes one would prefer tea generally, but for this particular…
I am/He is/You are being etc
When we say something very usual, there is nothing surprising in it. On the other hand, when something is being explained as unusual an element of curiosity is aroused and someone is given to understand what is being said/ or expressed bears the meaning or connotation of being against the practice. The following examples will further clarify the essence of the usage. He is very happy. He is satisfied with his achievements.( This is a statement that shows a general state of affairs. People are…
Do, Does, Did for emphasis.
When we want to emphasise a point or fact, the application of the above usage will be very useful. They are usually used in this way when a statement is contradicted. For example, when someone argues with you and says that you didn’t do something, you can defend your side by the way as explained below. A : You didn’t deliver the message to him I gave you, did you? B: No, I did deliver the message to him. Differentiating examples are given below for…
Had better
‘Had’ is the past tense of ‘have’ ; but in the usage ‘ HAD BETTER’ , it has a present idea or meaning. ‘Had better’ indicates an action which is preferable and in case of failure of action, it may bring about unpleasant consequences. In other words it suggests a course of action that seems advisable. He’s in a critical condition. You had better visit him today itself.( i.e otherwise,sometimes, you may not be able to see him.) He’s a dishonest man. You had better…
Examples related to ‘ Used to’ (Be/get used to something.)
Our new boss is an American. When he came to India he found driving on the left difficult. Because. he wasn’t used to it. OR – he wasn’t used to driving on the left. He came to understand he had to practise it well before he could drive on road safely. After a lot of practice, driving on the left has become easy to him. Now he has got used to driving on the left. I was not used to the weather in London, so…
Be used to
After ‘ Be used to’ if a verb follows , ING has to be added to the verb. But , if it follows a Noun no change takes place. He is used to working hard . OR – he is used to hard work He was used to working hard. OR – he was used to hard work. I am used to getting up early.( i.e I don’t find any difficulty in getting up early and it is quite normal as far as I am…
Used to
This usage is highly useful to express actions that happened in the past, but no longer happen. He used to play cricket a lot but he doesn’t play very often now. A: Do you go to the cinema very often? B: Not now, but I used to. I used to travel a lot. But now-a-days I have no time to do so. Used to…..( for something that was true but is not true any more) . They used to be very rich, but after they…
Useful Idioms – part 47
As safe as houses = completely safe.( alludes to the paying character of house property as investment- an expression to satisfy a doubting person ” Oh it’s as safe as houses” I locked your jewellery in a drawer, so it ‘s as safe as houses. If you buy treasury bonds, your money will be as safe as houses. Bring home to someone = to make someone understand something much more clearly than they did before. When I saw for myself the damage that had been…