Expressing preference: enjoy/like/dislike + gerund, I’d rather, I’d prefer

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Almost all Americans, says a guide to British and American culture, enjoy talking about their own experiences — and when they are upset, some prefer to cry rather than retain their tears. The British, on the contrary, like to keep a stiff upper lip: they don't like showing their feelings. You already know how to say what you like and dislike, and how to use I'd rather; this lesson makes sure you can use them. Comparing two choices with I'd rather … than … and I'd prefer … to … is new. So which verb form comes after enjoy, prefer and I'd rather?

🎓في نهاية هذا الدرس ستكون قادرا على:

التعبير عن الحبّ والكره بأفعال مثل ⁦enjoy, like, love, dislike, hate⁩ متبوعة بالاسم الفعليّ ⁦(gerund)⁩
التمييز بين أفعال لا يليها إلّا ⁦-ing⁩ مثل ⁦enjoy⁩، وأفعال يليها ⁦-ing⁩ أو المصدر مع ⁦to⁩ مثل ⁦like, prefer⁩
التعبير عن التفضيل بـ ⁦prefer … to …⁩ و ⁦I’d prefer to … rather than …⁩ و ⁦I’d rather … than …⁩
إجراء حوار قصير عن الهوايات والأذواق والتفضيلات

🔑يفترض هذا الدرس أنّك تتقن:

الاسم الفعليّ ⁦(gerund)⁩: الفعل المنتهي بـ ⁦-ing⁩ مستعملا اسما
المصدر مع ⁦to⁩ والمصدر دون ⁦to⁩
أفعال الحبّ والكره الأساسية: ⁦like, love, hate⁩

1. Likes and dislikes: verb + gerund

بعد أفعال الحبّ والكره نستعمل الاسم الفعليّ ⁦(-ing)⁩: ⁦I enjoy dancing⁩. وبعد ⁦like, love, hate, prefer⁩ يجوز أيضا المصدر مع ⁦to⁩.

The gerund is the -ing form of a verb used as a noun. After most verbs of liking and disliking — enjoy, like, love, dislike, detest, dread, hate, mind, can't stand — the verb that follows is a gerund: « I enjoy dancing. » « Would you mind answering a few questions? » The gerund also follows prepositions, as in adjective + preposition phrases: « I'm fond of cooking. » (keen on, tired of…) After like, love, hate and prefer, either the gerund or the to-infinitive may occur: « I prefer to live in the country » or « I prefer living in the country ». Enjoy, mind and can't stand take the gerund only.

Feelings

British and American people are similar in many ways, but in expressing feelings they haven't much in common. Nearly all Americans believe that it is better to share what they think or feel than hide it. A great many of them expect their relatives and friends to say, "I love you", "I care for you", or "I'm glad to have a friend like you". Almost all of them enjoy talking about their own experiences, and a few of them will go so far as to share ideas with foreign visitors the first time they come into contact with them. When some of them are upset they prefer to cry rather than retain their tears. Few Americans consider it bad to show anger in public. The great majority of them would rather let all of it out and say what they feel than bottle it up inside and make matters worse. In contrast to this is the traditional British reserve, a national tendency to avoid showing strong emotion of any kind. The British like to keep a stiff upper lip. In other words, they don't like showing or talking about their feelings. They rather prefer hiding them because people who reveal their emotions are thought to be weak and bad-mannered. […] […] Lovers hold hands in public and sometimes embrace and kiss each other, but many elderly people do not like to see this. […] Even cricket supporters, who had a reputation for being much quieter, enjoy cheering as well as giving the traditional polite applause. From The Oxford Guide to British and American Culture, p. 192

Task 1 — Pick out from the text all the sentences which express likes, dislikes and preferences. What form is the verb that follows?

استخرج من النصّ كلّ الجمل التي تعبّر عن الحبّ أو الكره أو التفضيل، ولاحظ صيغة الفعل الذي يليها.

Sentence	It expresses	The verb after it
Almost all of them enjoy talking about their own experiences.	a like	gerund
Even cricket supporters … enjoy cheering.	a like	gerund
The British like to keep a stiff upper lip.	a like	to-infinitive
They don't like showing or talking about their feelings.	a dislike	gerund
Many elderly people do not like to see this.	a dislike	to-infinitive
They rather prefer hiding them.	a preference	gerund
When some of them are upset they prefer to cry rather than retain their tears.	a preference	to-infinitive, then rather than + infinitive without to
The great majority of them would rather let all of it out … than bottle it up inside.	a preference	infinitive without to, then than + infinitive without to
It is better to share what they think or feel than hide it.	a preference	to-infinitive, then than + infinitive without to

Task 2 — A. What form are the verbs which follow the verbs of likes, dislikes and preferences? B. Which verbs are followed by a gerund only? C. Which verbs are followed by either a gerund or an infinitive? D. What form are the verbs which follow rather and it is better?

أجب عن الأسئلة الأربعة انطلاقا من الجمل التي استخرجتها.

A. A gerund (enjoy talking, don't like showing) or a to-infinitive (like to keep, prefer to cry).
B. Enjoy: enjoy talking, enjoy cheering. The text also has avoid, another verb followed by a gerund only: avoid showing.
C. Like (like to keep · don't like showing) and prefer (prefer to cry · prefer hiding).
D. After would rather, the infinitive without to: would rather let … than bottle. After it is better, the to-infinitive: it is better to share … than hide.

2. Preferences: prefer, I'd prefer, I'd rather

للتفضيل صيغ عدّة: ⁦prefer … to …⁩ للتفضيل العامّ، و ⁦I’d prefer to … rather than …⁩ و ⁦I’d rather … than …⁩ لموقف محدّد. بعد ⁦I’d rather⁩ يأتي المصدر دون ⁦to⁩.

To talk about what you prefer in general, use prefer to do or prefer doing. To choose between two things or two activities, use prefer something to something else, prefer doing something to doing something else, or prefer to do something rather than (do) something else. To say what someone wants to do in a particular situation, use would prefer ('d prefer) to do something rather than do something, or would rather ('d rather) do something — with the infinitive without to — followed by than. The negative is I'd rather not. And to say what you want someone else to do, use I'd rather + subject + past: the verb is in the past, but the meaning is present or future.

The structures of preference

Structure	When	Example
prefer to do · prefer doing	a preference in general	I don't like cities. I prefer to live in the country.
prefer something to something else	a choice between two things	Most people prefer trains to buses.
prefer doing to doing	a choice between two activities	Habib prefers driving to travelling by train.
prefer to do rather than (do)	a choice between two activities	I prefer to live in the country rather than in a city.
would prefer to do … rather than do …	a particular situation	I'd prefer to stay at home tonight rather than go to the cinema.
would rather do … (than do …)	a particular situation	« Shall we go by bus? » « Well, I'd rather take a taxi. »
would rather not do	the negative	I'm tired. I'd rather not walk to work this morning.
would rather + subject + past	what someone else should do	« Shall I stay home? » « Well, I'd rather you came with us. »

After prefer: to. After would prefer: to … rather than. After would rather: no to … than.

Rewrite each sentence with the words in brackets, so that it keeps the same meaning.

1. When they are upset, some Americans prefer to cry rather than retain their tears. (would rather) 2. The British prefer hiding their feelings to showing them. (would rather … than) 3. I'd rather stay at home and watch Fellag on TV. (would prefer) 4. Most people like trains more than buses. (prefer … to) 5. « Shall I tell her the bad news? » « Well, I'd rather you (not tell) her. »

Task 3 — the answers, and the question to ask each time

في كلّ جملة اسأل: هل يأتي بعد الصيغة المصدر مع ⁦to⁩ أم دونها؟

1. When they are upset, some Americans would rather cry than retain their tears. — would rather: infinitive without to, on both sides of than.
2. The British would rather hide their feelings than show them.
3. I'd prefer to stay at home and watch Fellag on TV. — would prefer: to-infinitive.
4. Most people prefer trains to buses. — prefer something to something else.
5. « Well, I'd rather you didn't tell her. » — someone else: the past, with a present or future meaning.

Sentences 1 and 2 describe what people usually choose, and the text itself says so with would rather: « The great majority of them would rather let all of it out ». Would rather is not only for one particular evening.

3. Talking about likes, dislikes and preferences

حوار عن الأذواق: اسأل زميلك عمّا يحبّ فعله في وقت فراغه، وأجب عن أسئلته، مستعملا صيغ الحبّ والكره والتفضيل.

Asking and answering about likes and dislikes — a dialogue

You: By the way Rashid, what do you like doing in your spare time? Your partner: Well, I like watching films. You: Do you like watching horror films? Your partner: No, I don't. I prefer watching comic films. They make me feel cheerful. You: Shall we go and see a Woody Allen film then? Your partner: No, I'd rather stay at home and watch Fellag or Mr Bean on TV.

Useful language

make me feel happy · relaxed · amused · cheerful
make me feel like dancing · singing
make me feel sad · lonely · irritated · nervous
make me feel like screaming · crying

Do this alone, in writing. Write a six-line dialogue with a friend about what you like doing in your spare time. Use enjoy or like + gerund, one dislike, and one choice with I'd rather or I'd prefer. Then check two things: is the verb after enjoy an -ing form, and is the verb after I'd rather an infinitive without to?

اكتب وحدك حوارا من ستّة أسطر عن أوقات الفراغ، فيه فعل حبّ متبوع بـ ⁦-ing⁩، وكره، وتفضيل بـ ⁦I’d rather⁩ أو ⁦I’d prefer⁩.

A model answer

You: What do you enjoy doing at the weekend? Your friend: I enjoy playing football with my cousins. It makes me feel relaxed. You: Do you like reading? Your friend: Not really. I don't like reading novels, but I love reading comics. You: Shall we go to the library on Saturday, then? Your friend: I'd rather go to the stadium. I'd prefer to watch a match rather than sit in a quiet room!

In the exam, preference is tested by rewriting a sentence so that it keeps the same meaning — « Some Americans prefer to cry rather than retain their tears » becomes « Some Americans would rather cry than retain their tears » — or by putting the verb in brackets in the right form. Have three things ready: ① enjoy, mind, can't stand + gerund; like, love, hate, prefer + gerund or to-infinitive; ② prefer something to something else, prefer doing to doing; ③ I'd prefer to do … rather than do …, and I'd rather do … than do …. The frequent mistake: « I'd rather to go » — after would rather, the infinitive has no to.

What I keep — After enjoy, mind and can't stand, the verb takes the gerund: I enjoy dancing. After like, love, hate and prefer, the gerund or the to-infinitive: they like to keep a stiff upper lip · they don't like showing their feelings. To compare two choices: prefer something to something else, prefer doing to doing. For what I want now: I'd prefer to stay at home rather than go out · I'd rather stay at home than go out — after would rather, no to; in the negative, I'd rather not.

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