would rather和would sooner之间没有区别，但经常听到的是would rather。A would rather/sooner的主语与后面的动作的主语相同时，would rather/sooner之后常常接不带to的不定式：Tom would rather read than talk．汤姆宁可读书而不愿谈天。1 would rather/sooner+ 不带to的不定式可用来表示现在的动作，以代替prefer+ 动名词：Tom prefers reading to talking．汤姆喜欢读书而不喜欢谈天。注意：would rather后跟不带to的不定式+than+不带 to的不定式，而prefer后跟动名词+to+动名词。prefer后面也可跟名词，而在would rather之后要求只带动词原形：He prefers wine to beer．相当于：He would rather drink wine than beer．他喜欢喝红葡萄酒而不喜欢喝啤酒。I prefer tennis to golf．相当于：I’d rather play tennis than golf．我喜欢打网球而不喜欢打高尔夫球。某些 prefer+ 名词的情况不能用 would rather完全确切地表达出来：He prefers dogs to cats（他喜欢狗而不喜欢猫）和 Hewould rather have dogs than cats（他宁可养狗而不愿养猫）意思并不完全相同。2 would rather+ 不带 to的不定式不能表示过去的偏爱。所以与 Tom would rather read than talk相当的过去形式为 Tompreferred reading to talking/liked reading better than talking。（参见下面4。）3 would rather+ 不带to的不定式可代替 would prefer+带 to的不定式：I’d rather fly than go by sea．/I’d prefer to fly．我宁愿乘飞机也不愿乘船。注意：用would prefer时，只提到你愿意做的这件事，而不提另外一件你不愿做的事，如上所述。因此，如想把愿意和不愿意的两个动作都提到，则要用would rather。这两个结构后面带名词时情况也一样：—Would you like some gin？—I’d prefer a coffee．/I’d rather have coffee than gin．—您想喝点杜松子酒吗？—我想喝点咖啡。/我想喝点咖啡，不想喝杜松子酒。4 would rather/sooner和would prefer后面都可跟完成式，但后者带to：We went by sea but I’d rather have gone by air/I’d prefer to have goneby air．我们是乘船去的，可我本想乘飞机去。（我愿意乘飞机去，可我的愿望未能实现。）这和 would like+ 不定式的完成式有点相似，would like+带to 的不定式的完成式也表示未能实现的愿望。（参见第296节D。）B 如句子的两个主语不相同，可用主语+ would rather/sooner后面跟主语+ 过去时（虚拟语气）结构：—Shall I give you a cheque？—I’d rather you paid cash．—我付给您支票行吗？—我想您最好付现金。注意：用would rather+主语+didn’t表示带否定意义的偏爱：—Would you like him to paint it？—No，I’d rather he didn’t（paint it）．—您想让他给它上油漆吗？—不，我希望他不要这么做。Ann wants to tell Tom，but I’d rather she didn’t（tell him）．安想告诉汤姆，但我不想让她告诉他。然而，prefer与like相同，后面都跟宾语+ 带to的不定式：I’d prefer you to pay cash．我想你最好付现金。I’d prefer him not to paint it．我不想让他给它上油漆。I’d prefer her not to tell Tom．我不想让她告诉汤姆。