prefer+gerund, prefer +to+infinitive

[vil]

Dear teachers,

Would you be so kind to tell me which of the following sentences is right and which is wrong.

1. I would prefer to eat at home rather than go to a restaurant.
2. I would prefer eating at home to going to a restaurant.
3. I prefer driving to walking.
4. I prefer to drive rather than walking.
5. I prefer to drive rather than walk.

I think there is impossible to find a reason for the use of a given form: gerund or infinitive.

Thank you in advance for your efforts.

Regards.

V.

[Naamplao]

Originally Posted by vil

Dear teachers,

Would you be so kind to tell me which of the following sentences is right and which is wrong.

1. I would prefer to eat at home rather than go to a restaurant.
2. I would prefer eating at home to going to a restaurant.
3. I prefer driving to walking.
4. I prefer to drive rather than walking.
5. I prefer to drive rather than walk.

I think there is impossible to find a reason for the use of a given form: gerund or infinitive.

Thank you in advance for your efforts.

Regards.

V.

All are correct. "Prefer" is one of those verbs that take both a gerund and an infinitive.

[David L.]

#4 is incorrect. It should be, I prefer to drive rather than walk. A native speaker would be more likely to put it, I prefer to drive (to school) than walk (there). Else, it might be, I prefer driving to walking.

Are you then asking, when each of the forms might be used rather than one of the other ways of expressing the same idea?

[Naamplao]

Originally Posted by David L.

#4 is incorrect. It should be, I prefer to drive rather than walk. A native speaker would be more likely to put it, I prefer to drive (to school) than walk (there). Else, it might be, I prefer driving to walking.

Are you then asking, when each of the forms might be used rather than one of the other ways of expressing the same idea?

I agree grammatically this may wrong due to lack of parallelism.

I prefer to drive rather than (to) walk.

But in speaking English I have certainly heard it said, I prefer to drive rather than walking.

Also the gerund form of walk can replace the infinitive form and fill the same function in the sentence.

[vil]

Hi Naamplao,

Thank you for your affirmative reply.

Regards.

V.

[vil]

Hi David L.

Thank you for sharing your private opinion concerning the examples in my original post. I would manifest my humble opinion.

It is most likely that you have been forgotten the following rule in the English Grammar.

It is sometimes possible to find a reason for the use of a given form. With some verbs and word-groups, such as to be afraid, to forget, to hate,to like, to dislike, to prefer the infinitive is mostly used with reference to a special occasion, the gerund being more appropriate to a general statement.

You demonstrated the truth of this assertion with your lovely examples:

"I prefer to drive (to school) than walk. (there). (this is a special occasion)

"I prefer driving to walking. (this is a general statement)

Thank you for your attention.

Regards.

V.

[vil]

Hi Naamplao,

Thank you for your perseverance and consistency.

I hope, you have grasped the meaning of my original post. I gave a gentle hint concerning the universality of the English language.

Thank you for your empathy.

Regards.

V.