a few questions about the verb "prefer", please

Question

Hi teachers,

I'd like to ask you a few things about the verb 'prefer' and structures that are possible by using it, please.

I). Is it correct to say "She prefers coffee to tea"? Is the structure 'prefer + noun + to + another noun" always correct?

2). What other structures are possible with it? For example, would it be correct to say She preferred going there to stating at home?

I've seen people using 'rather than' in the the structure/pattern above. For example She preferred going there rather than to staying at home. Is it correct, please? Can we leave 'rather than' out without changing the meaning expressed by the structure/pattern prefer + noun + rather than + to + another noun'?

Thanks to all.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

The following is based on current US usage.

1. "She prefers coffee to tea." is okay grammatically. However, this sounds 19th century in today's environment. The verb "prefer" is too formal for everyday speech, and when combined with "to" like this, it sounds like people used to talk a century or more ago. You'd more likely hear something like the following:

She'd rather have coffee than tea.

She'd like coffee instead of tea.

She likes coffee better than tea.

The construction, "prefer + noun + to + another noun," is generally correct (provided that the logic holds), but again, the verb "prefer" is overly formal.

2. "She preferred going there to staying at home." and "She preferred going there rather than [there cannot be a "to" between "than" and "staying"] staying at home." are both okay. And the construction, "prefer + noun equivalent + rather than + noun equivalent", is generally correct (provided the logic holds). The following mean the same thing:

She prefers coffee to tea.

She prefers having coffee to having tea.

She prefers having coffee rather than having tea.

But again, sentences like the above are very formal-sounding. You'd more likely hear something like the following:

She likes coffee better than tea.

She likes having coffee better than tea.

She rather have coffee than tea.

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousI). Is it correct to say "She prefers coffee to tea"? Is the structure 'prefer + noun + to + another noun" always correct?

Yes. Yes, as long as the words make sense, of course. You wouldn't want to say, "Leonard prefers planets to artichokes".

Anonymouswould it be correct to say She preferred going there to staying at home?

Yes. You can use -ing forms instead of nouns.

AnonymousShe preferred going there rather than to staying at home. Is it correct

No 'to': She preferred going there rather than staying at home.
'rather than' replaces 'to'. You don't use both.
But also: She preferred [to go there] rather than [to stay at home].
Not, of course: She preferred [to go there] rather than to [to stay at home].

AnonymousCan we leave 'rather than' out without changing the meaning expressed by the structure/pattern prefer + noun + rather than + to + another noun'?

I would not use 'rather than to' unless the to was part of an infinitive, not part of the 'prefer X to Y' pattern.
______________

The basic pattern is I prefer X [to / rather than] Y. But 'to' is not used if Y begins with the word 'to'.

Lucy prefers [going to Chicago] to [going to New York].
Lucy prefers [going to Chicago] rather than [going to New York].
Lucy prefers [to go to Chicago] to [to go to New York]. <<< No!
Lucy prefers [to go to Chicago] rather than [to go to New York].
Lucy prefers going [to Chicago] to [to New York]. <<< No!
Lucy prefers going [to Chicago] rather than [to New York].

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

Thanks to both h of you for your replies.

I'd like to ask you one more thing please. Does the pattern prefer X to Y always have to have things that are of equal grammatical rank in it? For example, "prefer + a noun/noun phrase + to + a noun/noun phrase" OR "prefer + an ing verb + to + another ing verb" OR "prefer + a 'to' infinitive + to + another 'to' infinitive".

Thanks again!

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousDoes the pattern prefer X to Y always have to have things that are of equal grammatical rank in it?

I have no solid data to go on, but my guess is that it's like that in 99% of cases. I imagine that there is at least some kind of parallelism in every case, even if it's implicit. For example,

I prefer swimming in the city pool [to / rather than] in the ocean
implies
I prefer swimming in the city pool [to / rather than] swimming in the ocean.

CJ

a few questions about the verb "prefer", please

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