EXPRESSING PREFERENCE

the rule:

PREFER: + Noun +TO + Noun : I prefer coffee to tea

+ -ING Form + TO + ING Form : I prefer skiing to swimming. = to talk about general preferences 

+ TO Infinitive + RATHER THAN + Bare Infinitive: I prefer to eat fish rather than (eat) meat to talk about gen

WOULD PREFER + TO
WOULD PREFER + TO 

Infinitive : Would you like to have a cup of coffee? I'd prefer to have some water. = To talk about specific prefe

 Another clause can be introduced by rather than + bare infinitive : 

He'd prefer to stay at home rather than drive to the restaurant 

Prefer takes an object when we want to introduce a new subject: I would prefer her to stay at home 

WOULD RATHER SOONER

SAME SUBJECT:

followed by the bare infinitive: I'd rather play football than golf but I prefer football to golf 

Or the Perfect Infinitive: I'd rather have stayed at home

DIFFERENT SUBJECT:

→ Use a Past Tense with present or future meaning: Shall I open the window?

 I'd rather you didn't

→ Use a Past Perfect with past meaning: I'd rather you hadn't called him old

HAD BETTER + Bare Infinitive (= should /ought)

You had/'d better book your flight early

 I'd better not take out a loan; 

I won't be able to pay it back

This structure is used to give advice or to say what the best thing to do in a particular situation is. Had better is
not as emphatic as Must

You must see a lawyer . (strong advice) 

You had better see a lawyer (less emphatic than "Must") 

You should ought to see a lawyer (even less emphatic)