B2 Verb Moods 9 min read متوسط

انتخاب ترجیحات: Would Rather

با 'would rather' و فعل ساده میتونی بگی توی یه موقعیت خاص چی رو بیشتر ترجیح میدی. این کلمات کلیدی رو یادت باشه: «ترجیح»، «انتخاب»، «موقعیت».

Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Use 'would rather' to express specific preferences in the present or future without using 'to'.

  • Use a bare infinitive (no 'to') for your own actions: 'I'd rather stay.'
  • Use the past simple for someone else's actions: 'I'd rather you stayed.'
  • Form negatives by adding 'not' directly after 'rather': 'I'd rather not go.'
👤 + 💭 (would rather) + 🚫 'to' + 🏃 (Verb)

مرور کلی

### Overview
ساختار would rather یکی از ابزارهای بسیار کاربردی و ظریف در زبان انگلیسی است که برای بیان «ترجیح» در موقعیت‌های خاص به کار می‌رود. در زبان فارسی، ما برای بیان ترجیح معمولاً از فعل «ترجیح دادن» یا قیدهایی مثل «بیشتر دوست دارم» استفاده می‌کنیم. اما نکته کلیدی در انگلیسی این است که would rather برخلاف فعل prefer که برای عادت‌های کلی به کار می‌رود، بر یک انتخابِ لحظه‌ای و مشخص در زمان حال یا آینده تمرکز دارد.
برای مثال، اگر در یک کافه در تهران هستید و می‌خواهید بگویید «ترجیح می‌دهم چای بخورم تا قهوه»، از این ساختار استفاده می‌کنید. این ساختار در سطح B2 به شما کمک می‌کند تا به جای جملات ساده، نظرات خود را با دقت و ادب بیشتری بیان کنید. در زبان فارسی، ما تفاوت دستوریِ فاحشی بین «ترجیح دادنِ کلی» و «ترجیح دادنِ لحظه‌ای» نداریم، اما در انگلیسی، این تفاوت در ساختارِ فعل کاملاً مشهود است.
یادگیری این مبحث برای شما که به دنبال تسلط بر زبان هستید، یک ضرورت است تا بتوانید در محیط‌های کاری یا گفت‌وگوهای روزمره، به جای جملات دستوری و خشک، از لحنی ملایم‌تر و در عین حال قاطع استفاده کنید.
### How This Grammar Works
ساختار would rather دقیقاً مانند یک فعل کمکی (Modal Verb) عمل می‌کند. وقتی شما می‌خواهید درباره کارِ خودتان صحبت کنید، کار بسیار ساده است: کافی است بعد از would rather از شکل ساده فعل (بدون to) استفاده کنید. اما چالش اصلی و جذابِ سطح B2 زمانی شروع می‌شود که بخواهید درباره کارِ «شخص دیگری» صحبت کنید.
در اینجا، انگلیسی از مفهومی به نام «وجه التزامی» یا همان subjunctive mood استفاده می‌کند. در فارسی، ما برای بیان آرزو یا ترجیح درباره دیگران، معمولاً از «که» و سپس فعل مضارع التزامی استفاده می‌کنیم (مثلاً: «ترجیح می‌دهم که تو بروی»). اما در انگلیسی، برای نشان دادن اینکه این یک «وضعیتِ غیرواقعی» یا «یک ترجیح ذهنی» است، فعل را به زمان گذشته ساده past simple می‌بریم.
دقت کنید که این گذشته بودنِ فعل، به معنای انجام شدن کار در گذشته نیست! این فقط یک نشانه دستوری است که به شنونده می‌گوید: «این چیزی است که من می‌خواهم اتفاق بیفتد، نه یک واقعیتِ انجام شده». این دقیقاً مشابه ساختار جملات شرطی نوع دوم در انگلیسی است که در آن برای بیان موقعیت‌های غیرواقعی در زمان حال، از گذشته ساده استفاده می‌کنیم.
### Formation Pattern
برای درک بهتر، به جدول‌های زیر توجه کنید که ساختارها را به تفکیک موضوع دسته‌بندی کرده‌اند:
جدول ۱: ترجیح برای خود (فاعل یکسان)
| فاعل | would rather | (منفی) | فعل اصلی | مثال |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 'd rather | | eat | I'd rather eat now. |
| She | would rather | not | stay | She would rather not stay. |
جدول ۲: ترجیح برای شخص دیگر (فاعل متفاوت)
| فاعل اول | would rather | فاعل دوم | فعل (گذشته ساده) | مثال |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 'd rather | you | paid | I'd rather you paid cash. |
| We | would rather | he | didn't go | We'd rather he didn't go. |
### When To Use It
از would rather در موقعیت‌های متعددی استفاده می‌شود که برخی از آن‌ها عبارتند از:
  1. 1بیان یک تصمیم لحظه‌ای: مثلاً در یک دورهمی دوستانه می‌گویید I'd rather leave early که نشان‌دهنده یک ترجیح مشخص برای همین امشب است.
  2. 2رد کردنِ محترمانه یک دعوت: به جای گفتن «نه»، می‌گویید I'd rather not که بسیار مودبانه‌تر است.
  3. 3درخواست غیرمستقیم: وقتی می‌خواهید به کسی بگویید کاری را انجام ندهد، به جای دستور دادن، می‌گویید I'd rather you didn't smoke here که از نظر اجتماعی بسیار پذیرفته‌تر است.
  4. 4دادن توصیه: گاهی برای پیشنهاد دادنِ یک راه حل، از این ساختار استفاده می‌کنیم تا لحنِ توصیه‌مان ملایم‌تر از should باشد.
### Common Mistakes
  1. 1اضافه کردن to بعد از would rather: فارسی‌زبانان به دلیل عادت به prefer to، گاهی به اشتباه می‌گویند I'd rather to go. به یاد داشته باشید که would rather دقیقاً مثل can است و بعد از آن فقط شکل ساده فعل می‌آید.
  2. 2استفاده از زمان حال برای شخص دیگر: اشتباه رایج این است که می‌گویند I'd rather you go. به دلیل تداخل زبان فارسی (که در آن فعل تغییر نمی‌کند)، زبان‌آموز فراموش می‌کند که باید از گذشته ساده went استفاده کند تا وجه التزامی را بسازد.
  3. 3اشتباه در ساختار منفی: بسیاری از زبان‌آموزان به جای I'd rather not go می‌گویند I'd rather don't go. این اشتباه به دلیل ساختار منفی فعل در زبان فارسی است که در انگلیسی به این صورت عمل نمی‌کند.
### Contrast With Similar Patterns
| ساختار | تفاوت با would rather |
|---|---|
| Prefer | برای عادت‌های کلی است، نه موقعیت‌های خاص. |
| Would prefer to | بعد از آن حتماً باید از to + infinitive استفاده شود. |
| Had better | نشان‌دهنده تهدید یا هشدار جدی است، نه ترجیح شخصی. |
### Quick FAQ
پرسش ۱: آیا می‌توانم از would sooner استفاده کنم؟ پاسخ: بله، کاملاً مترادف است اما در انگلیسی روزمره would rather بسیار رایج‌تر است.
پرسش ۲: چرا در I'd rather you went از گذشته استفاده می‌کنیم؟ پاسخ: چون این یک ساختارِ subjunctive است که برای بیان موقعیت‌های غیرواقعی یا ترجیحی از گذشته استفاده می‌کند تا از زمان حال جدا شود.
پرسش ۳: آیا می‌توانم برای گذشته هم استفاده کنم؟ پاسخ: بله، با استفاده از would rather have + past participle می‌توانید از ترجیحاتِ انجام نشده در گذشته صحبت کنید.

Conjugating 'Would Rather'

Subject Affirmative (Present) Negative (Present) Affirmative (Past)
I
I'd rather stay
I'd rather not stay
I'd rather have stayed
You
You'd rather stay
You'd rather not stay
You'd rather have stayed
He/She/It
He'd rather stay
He'd rather not stay
He'd rather have stayed
We
We'd rather stay
We'd rather not stay
We'd rather have stayed
They
They'd rather stay
They'd rather not stay
They'd rather have stayed

Contractions of 'Would'

Full Form Contraction Pronunciation Hint
I would rather
I'd rather
eyed-rather
You would rather
You'd rather
yood-rather
He would rather
He'd rather
heed-rather
She would rather
She'd rather
sheed-rather
We would rather
We'd rather
weed-rather
They would rather
They'd rather
theyd-rather

Meanings

A phrase used to indicate that one thing is preferred over another in a specific situation.

1

Personal Preference (Present/Future)

Expressing what the speaker wants to do themselves right now or in the future.

“I'd rather eat at home tonight.”

“Would you rather watch a movie or play a game?”

2

Preference for Others (Present/Future)

Expressing what the speaker wants someone else to do.

“I'd rather you didn't smoke in here.”

“Would you rather I called back later?”

3

Past Preference (Same Subject)

Expressing a preference about a past event that didn't happen (regret).

“I'd rather have gone to the beach than the museum.”

“He'd rather have stayed home yesterday.”

4

Past Preference (Different Subject)

Expressing what you wanted someone else to have done in the past.

“I'd rather you had told me the truth.”

“She'd rather he hadn't invited his ex-girlfriend.”

Reference Table

Reference table for انتخاب ترجیحات: Would Rather
فاعل جمله فعلی فعل ساده مقایسه
I / You / We
would rather
stay
than go
He / She / It
would rather
eat
than cook
I
would rather not
wait
---
They
'd rather
watch
than play
Would you
rather
call
than text?
We
would rather
buy
than rent

طیف رسمیت

رسمی
I would rather not attend the social gathering this evening.

I would rather not attend the social gathering this evening. (Social plans)

خنثی
I'd rather not go to the party tonight.

I'd rather not go to the party tonight. (Social plans)

غیر رسمی
I'd rather skip the party.

I'd rather skip the party. (Social plans)

عامیانه
I'd rather pass on the party.

I'd rather pass on the party. (Social plans)

The Branches of 'Would Rather'

Would Rather

Same Subject

  • Base Verb I'd rather stay

Different Subject

  • Past Simple I'd rather you stayed

Past Regret

  • Have + V3 I'd rather have stayed

Would Rather vs. Prefer

Would Rather
Bare Infinitive I'd rather go
Than Rather A than B
Prefer
To-Infinitive / Gerund I prefer to go / going
To Prefer A to B

Choosing the Right Tense

1

Is the subject the same?

YES
Use Base Verb
NO
Is it Present or Past?
2

Is it Present?

YES
Use Past Simple
NO
Use Past Perfect

Usage Contexts

🙏

Politeness

  • Refusing offers
  • Setting boundaries
⚖️

Decisions

  • Choosing food
  • Travel plans

Regrets

  • Past mistakes
  • Missed events

مثال‌ها بر اساس سطح

1

I'd rather play football.

I would rather play football.

2

I'd rather eat an apple.

I would rather eat an apple.

3

Would you rather have tea?

Would you rather have tea?

4

I'd rather not go.

I would rather not go.

1

I'd rather stay home than go out.

I prefer staying home over going out.

2

Would you rather walk or drive?

Do you prefer walking or driving?

3

She'd rather not watch this movie.

She doesn't want to watch this movie.

4

I'd rather have water, please.

I prefer water.

1

I'd rather you didn't tell anyone.

I'd prefer if you didn't tell anyone.

2

We'd rather not have to work late.

We prefer not to work late.

3

Would you rather I came tomorrow?

Would you prefer if I came tomorrow?

4

I'd rather buy the blue one than the red one.

I prefer the blue one.

1

I'd rather you hadn't mentioned that to my boss.

I wish you hadn't said that to my boss.

2

I'd rather have gone by train; the traffic was awful.

I wish I had taken the train.

3

Would you rather we met at the office or at a cafe?

Which location do you prefer for our meeting?

4

I'd rather not have been invited if they were going to ignore me.

I wish I wasn't invited.

1

I'd rather you didn't make a habit of arriving late.

Please stop arriving late.

2

Had you asked, I'd rather have helped you myself.

If you had asked, I would have preferred to help.

3

I'd rather not have to explain myself every single time.

I dislike having to explain myself constantly.

4

Much as I love the city, I'd rather live in the countryside.

Despite loving the city, I prefer the country.

1

I would rather he were more proactive in his approach.

I wish he was more proactive.

2

I'd rather not have been made to feel like a criminal.

I disliked being treated that way.

3

I'd rather you had not so much as looked at my phone.

You shouldn't have even looked at my phone.

4

One would rather assume that the data is correct.

It is preferable to assume the data is correct.

به‌راحتی اشتباه گرفته می‌شود

Choosing Preferences: Would Rather در مقابل Would Rather vs. Would Prefer

Both express preference, but 'would prefer' requires 'to'.

Choosing Preferences: Would Rather در مقابل Would Rather vs. Had Better

'Had better' is for advice/warnings, 'would rather' is for preference.

Choosing Preferences: Would Rather در مقابل Would Rather vs. Prefer (General)

Learners use 'would rather' for general habits.

اشتباهات رایج

I'd rather to go.

I'd rather go.

Do not use 'to' after 'rather'.

I don't rather.

I'd rather not.

The negative is formed by adding 'not' after 'rather'.

I rather go.

I'd rather go.

You must include 'would' (or 'd).

I'd rather go to home.

I'd rather go home.

General 'go home' rule, but often forgotten with 'rather'.

I'd rather coffee to tea.

I'd rather have coffee than tea.

Use 'than' for comparisons, and 'rather' usually needs a verb.

Would you rather to stay?

Would you rather stay?

Questions also don't use 'to'.

I'd rather not to eat.

I'd rather not eat.

Negative bare infinitive.

I'd rather than stay.

I'd rather stay.

Don't use 'than' unless comparing two things.

I'd rather you stay.

I'd rather you stayed.

When the subject changes, use the past simple.

I'd rather you don't go.

I'd rather you didn't go.

Negative for different subject uses 'didn't'.

I'd rather you to stay.

I'd rather you stayed.

Never use 'to' even with different subjects.

I'd rather have go.

I'd rather have gone.

Past preference needs the past participle.

I'd rather you hadn't have told him.

I'd rather you hadn't told him.

Double 'have' is redundant in the past perfect.

I'd rather you weren't so loud.

I'd rather you weren't so loud.

Actually correct, but learners often use 'wasn't' which is less formal.

I'd rather not having gone.

I'd rather not have gone.

Do not use the gerund (-ing) after 'rather'.

I'd rather you had went.

I'd rather you had gone.

Incorrect past participle usage.

الگوهای جمله‌سازی

I'd rather ___ than ___.

I'd rather you didn't ___.

Would you rather I ___?

I'd rather have ___.

Real World Usage

Texting friends very common

I'd rather meet at the mall.

Job Interviews common

I'd rather work in a team than alone.

Ordering Food very common

I'd rather have the salad than the fries.

Setting Boundaries common

I'd rather you didn't touch my laptop.

Travel Planning common

Would you rather fly or take the train?

Social Media Polls occasional

Would you rather always be 10 mins late or 20 mins early?

🎯

بدون 'to'

این رایج‌ترین اشتباهه. همیشه بگو 'rather go'، هیچوقت نگو 'rather to go'. "I'd rather play outside."
⚠️

'than' با 'then' فرق داره

مطمئن شو که برای مقایسه، از 'than' با حرف 'a' استفاده می‌کنی. 'Then' برای زمانه. "I'd rather sleep than work."
💬

نه گفتن مؤدبانه

اگه نمی‌خوای کاری رو انجام بدی، برای مؤدبانه نه گفتن، از 'I'd rather not' استفاده کن. "I'd rather not join."

Smart Tips

Imagine the 'to' is a wall blocking your preference. Knock it down!

I'd rather to stay. I'd rather stay.

Use 'I'd rather not' instead of 'No' or 'I don't want to'.

No, I don't want to go. I'd rather not go, if that's okay.

Think of it as a time machine: move the verb one step into the past.

I'd rather you go now. I'd rather you went now.

Use 'than' like a bridge between your two choices.

I'd rather tea to coffee. I'd rather have tea than coffee.

تلفظ

/aɪd ˈræðər/

The 'd contraction

The 'd' in 'I'd' is often very soft. It sounds like a tiny stop at the end of the pronoun.

/ˈræðər/

Rather stress

The stress is usually on the first syllable of 'RATH-er'.

Choice Intonation

Would you rather walk ↗ or drive ↘?

Rising intonation on the first option, falling on the second.

حفظ کنید

روش یادسپاری

Rather? No 'to' for you! (Reminds you to skip the 'to' in the infinitive).

تداعی تصویری

Imagine a fork in the road. On one path is a giant 'A' and on the other a giant 'B'. You are standing at the fork saying 'I'd rather take A than B.' The 'than' is a bridge connecting the two paths.

Rhyme

When it's me, the verb stays free. When it's you, the past will do.

Story

A king is very picky. When he wants to eat, he says 'I'd rather eat gold.' When his servant wants to eat, the king says 'I'd rather you ate bread.' The king always pushes the servant's verb into the past to show he is in control.

شبکه واژگان

ratherthanpreferwouldchoiceoptionsubjunctivebare infinitive

چالش

Write 5 sentences about your ideal weekend using 'I'd rather...' and 5 things you want your best friend to do using 'I'd rather you...'

نکات فرهنگی

In the UK, 'would sooner' is a very common alternative to 'would rather', especially in the north of England.

Americans use 'would rather' extensively for polite refusals to avoid sounding too direct or rude.

In corporate settings, 'would rather' is used to suggest alternatives without sounding like you are giving orders.

The word 'rather' comes from the Old English 'hrathor', meaning 'more quickly' or 'sooner'.

شروع‌کننده‌های مکالمه

Would you rather live in a world with no internet or no heating?

Would you rather have the ability to fly or be invisible?

I'd rather you hadn't told me that secret. How do you feel when people overshare?

Would you rather have lived in the 1920s or the 1980s?

موضوعات نگارش

Describe your perfect day. What would you rather do in the morning versus the evening?
Think about a past decision you regret. What would you rather have done differently?
If you were a manager, how would you tell an employee you'd rather they changed their behavior?
Write a dialogue between two people arguing about where to go on vacation.

اشتباهات رایج

Incorrect

صحیح


Incorrect

صحیح


Incorrect

صحیح


Incorrect

صحیح

Test Yourself

جای خالی رو با شکل صحیح فعل پر کن.

I'd rather ___ (stay) home tonight.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: stay
بعد از 'would rather'، ما فعل ساده رو بدون 'to' استفاده می‌کنیم.
کدوم جمله درسته؟ چند گزینه‌ای

Choose the grammatically correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I'd rather have pizza than pasta.
'Would rather' باید با یک فعل (have) بیاد و نیازی به 'to' نیست.
اشتباه رو پیدا و درست کن. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

She'd rather not to go to the party.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: She'd rather not go to the party.
شکل منفی 'would rather not' به علاوه فعل ساده است. نیازی به 'to' نیست.

Score: /3

تمرین‌های عملی

8 exercises
Choose the correct form to complete the sentence. چند گزینه‌ای

I'd rather ___ at home tonight than go to the party.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: stay
'Would rather' is followed by the bare infinitive (no 'to').
Find and fix the error in the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

I'd rather you don't smoke in the house.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I'd rather you didn't smoke
When the subject changes (I -> you), use the past simple for present preference.
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the verb 'tell'.

I'd rather you ___ me the truth yesterday.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: had told
For a past preference with a different subject, use the past perfect.
Rewrite the sentence using 'would rather'. Sentence Transformation

I prefer walking to driving.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I'd rather walk than drive.
'Would rather' uses 'than' for comparison and bare infinitives.
Is the following rule true or false? True False Rule

You can use 'would rather' with a gerund (verb+ing).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
'Would rather' is never followed by a gerund.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Do you want to watch a horror movie? B: Actually, I'd rather ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: not
'I'd rather not' is the standard short negative response.
Which of these is a correct past regret? Grammar Sorting

I'd rather ___ that expensive car.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: not have bought
Same subject past regret uses 'have + past participle'.
Match the situation to the correct 'would rather' form. جفت کردن

Situation: You want your friend to leave now.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I'd rather you left.
Different subject + past simple for present desire.

Score: /8

Practice Bank

10 exercises
جمله رو کامل کن. پر کردن جای خالی

Would you rather ___ coffee or tea?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: drink
کلمه مقایسه رو درست کن. Error Correction

I'd rather play games instead of studying.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I'd rather play games than study.
کلمات رو به ترتیب صحیح قرار بده. Sentence Reorder

rather / I / not / would / now / eat

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I would rather not eat now.
به انگلیسی ترجمه کن. ترجمه

Prefiero caminar que correr.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I'd rather walk than run.
کدوم طبیعی‌تره؟ چند گزینه‌ای

You are at a cafe. You choose a drink.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I'd rather have a latte.
اولویت‌ها رو به هم وصل کن. جفت کردن

Matching preferences:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: All matched correctly
ترجیح منفی. پر کردن جای خالی

We ___ rather not stay at that hotel.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: would
شکل سوم شخص رو درست کن. Error Correction

He would rathers play football.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: He would rather play football.
رسمی یا غیررسمی. چند گزینه‌ای

Which one uses the contraction correctly?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: They'd rather wait.
به انگلیسی ترجمه کن. ترجمه

¿Preferirías ir ahora?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Would you rather go now?

Score: /10

سوالات متداول (8)

No. This is the most common mistake. Always use the bare infinitive: `I'd rather go`.

`Would rather` takes a bare infinitive (`I'd rather stay`), while `would prefer` takes a to-infinitive (`I'd prefer to stay`).

This is a type of 'unreal' past (subjunctive). It shows that the preference is a hypothetical desire rather than a fact.

Start with 'Would': `Would you rather eat now or later?`

It's better to use `prefer` for general habits. Use `would rather` for specific choices in the moment.

Yes, `I'd sooner` is a synonymous expression, though it is slightly more common in British English or for very strong preferences.

The negative is `I'd rather you didn't stay`.

No, `would prefer` usually uses `rather than`. Example: `I would prefer to walk rather than drive`.

Scaffolded Practice

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Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

In Other Languages

Spanish moderate

Preferiría / Más bien

English uses the past simple, Spanish uses the past subjunctive.

French moderate

Préférerait / Aimerait mieux

English avoids the word 'that' (que) and uses a past tense instead of subjunctive.

German high

würde lieber

German word order puts the verb at the end of the sentence.

Japanese low

...hou ga ii

Japanese does not use a modal verb like 'would'.

Arabic moderate

Yufaddilu an (يفضل أن)

Arabic does not have a specific 'would rather' construction separate from 'prefer'.

Chinese moderate

Níngyuàn (宁愿)

Chinese has no verb conjugation or tense shifts for different subjects.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

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