I would have prefered

[Rachel Adams]

Hello.

I copied these examples from this site's testing page. I chose the second sentence as a correct answer but is the fourth sentence also possible?

1. ''I would prefer to see my team win last night.''
2. ''I would have preferred to see my team win last night.''
3. ''I would prefer to have seen my team win last night''.
4. ''I would have preferred to have seen my team win last night''.

 

[jutfrank]

I suppose it could be, if the speaker really feels a need to introduce an aspect of retrospection, but I think that's unlikely.

 

[Yankee]

Yes. In fact, I prefer :-D #4.

 

[emsr2d2]

In order of preference, I like 2, then 3 and 4 equally. 1 doesn't work for me.

 

[jutfrank]

I don't think 3 is right at all. Only 2 and 4 talk about past preference. It seems strange to talk about present preference for a past result.

 

[emsr2d2]

I see your point. I admit it's more likely (in BrE) to be presented as "I would prefer it if my team had won last night".

 

[jutfrank]

I admit it's more likely (in BrE) to be presented as "I would prefer it if my team had won last night".

Yes.

I'm not a fan of any of those sentences, actually. I would prefer something simpler, like I would have preferred they won.

I'm not entirely sure why the thought needs to express past preference at all. It seems as if the speaker is really trying to express a present regret about the past, in which case I wish they'd won would be better.

 

[Tarheel]

None of them seem natural to me. I would say:

The Tar Heels lost! Darn it!
:-D

 

[teechar]

I copied these examples from this site's testing page.

Then perhaps the sentences on that page should be modified, given the above discussion.