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would rather和would sooner在英语中都可以用来表示“宁愿;宁可”,今天我们就来梳理梳理两者在用法上的异同。
would rather或'd rather主要用来表示“宁愿;宁可”,它有两种用法:不带从句和带从句。
此时,would rather直接后接动词原形,如:
正确:We’d rather go on Monday.
错误:We’d rather to go … or We’d rather going …
其否定形式为直接在would rather后接not,如:
I’d rather not fly. I hate planes.
当我们要表达过去发生的事情时,我们会采用would rather have done的用法,此时的用法其实是虚拟语气,往往表达与事实相反或不符的情况。如:
She would rather have spent the money on a holiday. (钱没有花在度假上)
I’d rather have seen it at the cinema than on DVD. (我通过DVD看了这部电影)
当后接不同主语的从句时,从句中的谓语动词要采用虚拟语气的用法。如果是对现在或将来情况的描述,从句的谓语动词采用一般过去时的形式;如果是对过去情况的描述,从句的谓语动词采用过去完成时的形式。如:
现在或将来:I would rather they did something about it instead of just talking about it.
现在或将来:Would you rather I wasn’t honest with you?
过去:I’d rather you hadn’t rung me at work.
当我们要强调时,会采用would much rather的用法。在口语中,我们会重读much以示强调。如:
I’d much rather make a phone call than send an email.
She’d much rather they didn’t know about what had happened.
在口语中,我们常用“I’d rather not”来对别人的建议或要求作出否定的简短回答。如:
A: Do you want to go for a coffee?
B: I’d rather not, if you don’t mind.
would sooner和would just as soon在用法上与would rather差不多,如:
I don’t really want to go back to France again this year. I’d sooner go to Spain.
Thanks for the invitation, but, if you don’t mind, we’d just as soon stay at home and watch it all on TV.
相比较而言,would sooner比would just as soon更为常用,但would rather则最为常用。
从以上说明中我们需要注意的两个常见错误是:
1、would rather等后接的是动词原形,而不是不定式to do或动名词ing形式。如:
正确:I don’t need a lift, thanks. I’d rather walk.
错误:I’d rather to walk. or I’d rather walking.
2、当would rather等后接从时,其否定不是体现在would rather等上,而是体现在从句中的谓语动词上。如:
正确:I’d rather they didn’t tell anyone
错误:I’d rather not they told anyone.
正确:She’d rather you didn’t phone after 10 o’clock.
错误:She wouldn’t rather you phoned after 10 o’clock.
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