Comparing things · CEFR B1 · Independent
prefer / rather than in English
Prefer takes "to" between the two things. Would rather takes "than". Swapping them is the standard mistake.
The shape
prefer A to B · would rather A than B
Say which of two things you like more.
In Hindi
prefer के बीच "to" आता है, would rather के बीच "than"।
CoCap explains every structure in both languages, because a rule you understand in Hindi is a rule you can use in English.
The mistake to fix first
The sentence Indian-English speakers actually produce, and the reason it is wrong.
| Commonly said | Correct English |
|---|---|
I prefer tea than coffee. | I prefer tea to coffee. "Prefer" joins the two options with "to", not "than". |
Easy to confuse with
Close enough to be mixed up with this one. Knowing the difference is most of knowing either.
- would ratherB1Say which of two things you prefer, right now
- I'd prefer / I'd ratherB1Say what you would rather do, politely
Questions people ask
- What is the prefer / rather than used for?
- Prefer takes "to" between the two things. Would rather takes "than". Swapping them is the standard mistake. In practice: say which of two things you like more.
- How do you form the prefer / rather than?
- prefer A to B · would rather A than B.
- What is the most common mistake with the prefer / rather than?
- Saying “I prefer tea than coffee.” instead of “I prefer tea to coffee.”. "Prefer" joins the two options with "to", not "than".
Where prefer / rather than fits
Where this structure sits in the ladder, and what surrounds it.
prefer / rather than is a CEFR B1 structure — the independent band — and it belongs to comparing things. CoCap’s syllabus files every structure this way so you can learn in order instead of jumping between whatever a search happened to return.
Reading it is not the same as saying it.
CoCap turns this page into practice: Hindi sentence in, English sentence out, corrected one thing at a time. Free, no card.
Practise the prefer / rather than →