一、rather常用于下列句式中,其后跟动词原形。表示“宁愿…(而)不愿…,或“与其…倒不如…”。
would rather do sth. than do sth.
would do sth.rather than do sth.
prefer to do sth. rather than do sth.
例如:我宁愿去打网球而不愿去游泳。
I’d rather play tennis than swim.
(=I’d play tennis rather than swim. )
(=I’d prefer play tennis rather than swim.)
【经典习题】
1. ----Shall we go skating or stay at home?
-----Which ____ do yourself?(92)
A.do you rather B.would you rather C.will you rather D.should you rather
2. To enjoy the scenery, Irene would rather spend long hours on the train _____ travel by air. (2004全国卷III.26)
A. as B. to C. than D. while
3. ----- Would you ______ have tea or wine?
----- ______. I prefer coffee.
A. rather, Either B. rather, Neither C. like, neither D. rather, Both
4. Who would you rather ______ the report instead of you?
A. have write B. have to write C. write D. have written
解析:答案为A。此题还原为You would rather have who write the report instead of you.可知句式为:have sb. do sth.
5. ----- Who would you rather ______ the Olympic Maths Competition?
----- LiHua, I think, is the best choice.
A. have attended B. have attend C. attending D. to attend
注:1. 有时可将rather than置于句首来加强语气。如:
Rather than refuse to help you, I would borrow money from my friends.
我宁可向朋友借钱,也不愿拒绝帮助你。
Rather than ____ on a crowded bus,he always prefers ____ a bicycle.(NMET94)
A.ride;ride B.riding;ride C.ride;to ride D.to ride;riding
2. 其否定式在rather后加not。如:
I’d rather not tell you about it. 那件事我宁愿不告诉你。
I’d rather not say anything. 我宁可什么也不说。
二、would rather后可接从句,从句用一般过去式,即would rather sb. did sth.,表示宁愿某人现在或将来要做某事;表示用过去完成时,即would rather sb. had done sth. ,表示宁愿某人过去做过某事。如:
I would rather you came tomorrow. 我宁愿你明天来。
He’d rather you came on Friday. 他比较希望你在星期五来。
I’d rather you had been / hadn’t been present。我(宁)愿你当时在场 / 不在场。
I’d rather you hadn’t told him the news that day. 我真希望你那天没有把那消息告诉他。
三、would rather 可接动词的完成式,即 would rather(not) have done sth.表示“宁愿做过某事但事实没做”或“宁愿没做过某事但事实却做了”,表示事实与愿望相反。如:
If she’d had the chance, she’d rather have lived 100 years ago. 如属可能,她宁愿生活在100年以前。