很多人會在寫作中應用 prefer，但是比較少的人能真正正確地使用它。Prefer 用來表達偏好，是一個及物動詞，因此後面要接賓語，賓語可以是名詞，動名詞或不定式。而且它經常與 would 的搭配，因此用法豐富多彩；prefer 不用於進行時，在日常對話中往往聽起來很正式。
一、prefer to do sth，prefer doing sth 和 prefer sth
1. prefer to do sth
The donor prefers to remain anonymous.
捐贈者希望不披露姓名。
I prefer to see a woman doctor.
我希望讓女醫生給我看病。
I prefer not to think about it.
我不想考慮此事。
2. prefer doing sth
She prefers living in the suburbs.
她寧願住在郊區。
In these circumstances, one prefers being alone.
在這種情況下，一個人更喜歡獨處。
3. prefer sth
I prefer biographies.
我更喜歡傳記。
Does he prefer a particular sort of music?.
他有特別喜歡的音樂嗎？
注意：prefer to do sth 比 prefer doing sth 更常見。
二、prefer A to/rather than B
Prefer A to/rather than B 表示比起 A 更喜歡 B，或寧願 A 也不願 B，其中 to 後面接名詞或動名詞，而 rather than 後面接名詞或不帶 to 不定式，例如：
I prefer tea to coffee.
比起咖啡，我更喜歡茶。
We prefer going by ferry to flying.
我們寧願坐渡船也不願坐飛機。
Tom prefers to stay at home rather than go to the cinema tonight.
湯姆今晚寧願呆在家裡也不願去看電影。
注意：prefer A to (rather than) B 中的 to 或 rather than 不能用 than 代替，例如：
比起雜誌，她更喜歡書。
: She prefers books to magazines.
: She prefers books than magazines.

三、would prefer ('d prefer)
1. Would prefer 後面接帶 to 不定式或名詞，用來討論現在或未來的偏好，例如：
would prefer to do sth:
I’d prefer to go by myself.
我寧願自己去。
She’d prefer not to drive at night.
她寧願晚上不開車。
would prefer sth:
Would you prefer a quieter restaurant?
你喜歡安靜一點的餐廳嗎？
Would you prefer red or white?
你喜歡喝紅葡萄酒還是白葡萄酒？
would prefer sth to sth:
I would prefer football to basketball.
比起籃球，我更喜歡足球。
I would prefer city to country.
比起鄉村，我更喜歡城市。
2. 當要表達寧願做某事也不願做另外一件事時，用 rather than 引入另一件不願意做的事，rather than 後面接不帶 to 不定式，例如：
I'd prefer to drink tea rather than drink coffee.
我寧願喝茶也不願喝咖啡。
I’d prefer to go skiing this year rather than go on a beach holiday.
今年我寧願去滑雪也不願去海灘度假。
3. 當要表達寧願某人做某事時，用 would prefer ('d prefer) sb to do sth 或 would prefer ('d prefer) + it if + 一般過去時，例如：
你寧願我留下來嗎？
Would you prefer me to stay?
Would you prefer it if I stayed?
他們寧願我們晚點來。
They’d prefer us to come later.
They’d prefer it if we came later.
四、常犯的錯誤
很多人會在寫作中應用 prefer，但是比較少的人能真正正確地使用它。Prefer 用來表達偏好，是一個及物動詞，因此後面要接賓語，賓語可以是名詞，動名詞或不定式。而且它經常與 would 的搭配，因此用法豐富多彩；prefer 不用於進行時，在日常對話中往往聽起來很正式。
一、prefer to do sth，prefer doing sth 和 prefer sth
1. prefer to do sth
The donor prefers to remain anonymous.
捐贈者希望不披露姓名。
I prefer to see a woman doctor.
我希望讓女醫生給我看病。
I prefer not to think about it.
我不想考慮此事。
2. prefer doing sth
She prefers living in the suburbs.
她寧願住在郊區。
In these circumstances, one prefers being alone.
在這種情況下，一個人更喜歡獨處。
3. prefer sth
I prefer biographies.
我更喜歡傳記。
Does he prefer a particular sort of music?.
他有特別喜歡的音樂嗎？
注意：prefer to do sth 比 prefer doing sth 更常見。
二、prefer A to/rather than B
Prefer A to/rather than B 表示比起 A 更喜歡 B，或寧願 A 也不願 B，其中 to 後面接名詞或動名詞，而 rather than 後面接名詞或不帶 to 不定式，例如：
I prefer tea to coffee.
比起咖啡，我更喜歡茶。
We prefer going by ferry to flying.
我們寧願坐渡船也不願坐飛機。
Tom prefers to stay at home rather than go to the cinema tonight.
湯姆今晚寧願呆在家裡也不願去看電影。
注意：prefer A to (rather than) B 中的 to 或 rather than 不能用 than 代替，例如：
比起雜誌，她更喜歡書。
: She prefers books to magazines.
: She prefers books than magazines.

三、would prefer ('d prefer)
1. Would prefer 後面接帶 to 不定式或名詞，用來討論現在或未來的偏好，例如：
would prefer to do sth:
I’d prefer to go by myself.
我寧願自己去。
She’d prefer not to drive at night.
她寧願晚上不開車。
would prefer sth:
Would you prefer a quieter restaurant?
你喜歡安靜一點的餐廳嗎？
Would you prefer red or white?
你喜歡喝紅葡萄酒還是白葡萄酒？
would prefer sth to sth:
I would prefer football to basketball.
比起籃球，我更喜歡足球。
I would prefer city to country.
比起鄉村，我更喜歡城市。
2. 當要表達寧願做某事也不願做另外一件事時，用 rather than 引入另一件不願意做的事，rather than 後面接不帶 to 不定式，例如：
I'd prefer to drink tea rather than drink coffee.
我寧願喝茶也不願喝咖啡。
I’d prefer to go skiing this year rather than go on a beach holiday.
今年我寧願去滑雪也不願去海灘度假。
3. 當要表達寧願某人做某事時，用 would prefer ('d prefer) sb to do sth 或 would prefer ('d prefer) + it if + 一般過去時，例如：
你寧願我留下來嗎？
Would you prefer me to stay?
Would you prefer it if I stayed?
他們寧願我們晚點來。
They’d prefer us to come later.
They’d prefer it if we came later.
四、常犯的錯誤