Examples: I’d rather go to bed now.

А теперь я, пожалуй, пойду спать.

She’d rather have stayed at home.

Она бы предпочла (тогда) остаться дома.

I’d rather you phoned her.

Я бы предпочел, чтобы ей позвонили вы.

We’d sooner not interfere.

Мы предпочли бы не вмешиваться.

It’s cold. You’d better wear a coat.

Холодно. Лучше надень пальто.

Why not go now?

Почему бы не пойти сейчас?

Exercise 172. Translate into Russian. Mind that the expression would rather (sooner) + infinitive denotes preference, and had better + infinitive is used to give advice about what someone should do, or threaten someone.

1. He’d rather join the army than stay here having no job, no family.

2. They’d sooner elect him President than let his opponents win.

3. You’d better protect yourself than wait till someone else does it for you.

4. The gas tank is almost empty. We had better stop at the next

5. service station.

6. She would rather they were not going away.

7. The movie was OK, but I would rather have gone to the concert last night.

8. You’d better take care of that cut on your hand soon, or it will get infected.

9. I’d rather be lying on a beach in Thailand, than sitting in class right now.

10. You’d better phone your Grandma. She needs your help and there’s nobody to take care of her.

11. Susan would sooner miss her classes than refuse to go to a disco.

12. She’d better see a doctor if it gets any worse.

13. I’d rather tell her what I think about their proposal than just

    1. follow her advice.

14. You’d better keep your mouth shut about this.

15. I'd rather you shot tin cans in the back yard.

Exercise 173. Paraphrase the following sentences using the examples.

a) Use would rather (sooner)

Examples: She would prefer to stay here than go out.

She’d rather (sooner) stay here than go out.

She would have preferred not to go there.

She’d rather (sooner) have not gone there.

1. I should prefer not to make any decision now. Not before I know all the facts.

2. She would prefer to have dinner in bed.

3. They would have preferred to play football.

4. Would you prefer to have lunch at the canteen?

5. Mother would have much preferred to stay at home and watch TV.

6. Would you prefer to go through the letters now?

7. She would prefer not to discuss it in public.

8. He would prefer to do this himself. He likes doing jobs around the house.

9. Little girls prefer playing with dolls to playing with cars.

10. She prefers to stay out of this business than to be involved in it.

11. Many people prefer to travel by air.

12. Some women prefer wearing flat shoes.

13. Some men prefer going to a club to going to a pub.

14. My friend prefers to take up gymnastics than athletics.

b) Use had better

Examples: I advise you to close the window to keep off the rain.