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。
