"I would sooner" is not very common, and when used is considered very formal. The alternatives you give are far more common, especially for past regrets. My experience is that "I would sooner" is more common in talking about the future, even to react to something that someone has just started doing - "I would sooner you didn't turn on the television." People generally use expressions such as " I would prefer...../I would rather.......".Originally Posted by magdalena

English Teacher
Bookmarks