王　丹

我们先看这样一个句子：

I prefer music that has great lyrics. 我喜欢歌词很棒的音乐。

本句中出现了一个动词prefer。这是一个很常用的动词，它的意思是“宁可，更喜欢；觉得还是……更可取”。其主要用法如下：

1. 后跟名词。例如：

I like geography，but I prefer math. 我喜欢地理，但更喜欢数学。

Which subject do you prefer，English or math? 英语和数学这两门课，你更喜欢哪一门?

Do you prefer apples or bananas? 你喜欢吃苹果还是喜欢吃香蕉?

2. 后跟动词不定式。例如：

I prefer to walk there. 我宁愿步行去那里。

Its very hot today，and I prefer to stay at home. 今天天气很热，我宁愿呆在家里不出去。

She prefers to live among the working people. 她更喜欢生活在劳动人民中间。

3. 后跟V-ing形式。例如：

She prefers living in the countryside. 她喜欢住在乡下。

He preferred spending his spare time doing some serious reading. 他喜欢把业余时间用来认真读点书。

4. 后跟复合宾语。例如：

They preferred him to go there with them. 他们宁愿他和他们一起去那里。

She preferred him to spend all day outside. 她宁愿让他在外边过一整天。

The director preferred her to act the old lady. 导演认为她还是演那个老太太好。

5. 后跟宾语从句。例如：

He preferred that nothing should be said about the accident. 他倒希望对这次事故什么也不要提起。

Would you prefer that I come on Monday instead of on Tuesday? 你喜欢我星期一来而不想让我星期二来吗?

在初中英语中，出现过两个由prefer构成的结构：

1. prefer... to... 宁愿……不愿……

(1) 后跟名词。例如：

I prefer classical music to popular music. 我喜欢古典音乐，不喜欢流行音乐。

Mike prefers cheese to ice cream. 迈克喜欢奶酪，而不喜欢冰淇淋。

Most people prefer trains to buses. 大多数人喜欢坐火车而不喜欢坐公共汽车。

(2) 跟V-ing形式。例如：

I prefer working to sitting idle. 我宁愿干活，而不愿闲坐着。

Many people prefer watching TV at home to seeing films at the cinema at present. 现在很多人宁愿在家看电视而不愿去电影院看电影。

2. prefer to do... rather than do... 宁可做……也不愿做；喜欢做……而不愿做……

I would prefer to spend the weekend at home rather than drive all the way to your mothers. 我觉得与其开车跑那么远到你母亲那里去度周末倒不如在家里过更好些。

She prefers to go with us rather than stay behind. 她宁愿和我们一起去，而不愿留下来。

巩固练习：从A，B，C，D中选择最佳答案。

1. Jane said she________sending e-mails________letters.

A. preferred；to writing B. preferred；to write

C. prefers；to writing D. prefers；to write

2. I prefer to offer more money for a better computer________less for this one.

A. to paying B. to pay

C. not to pay D. rather than pay

3. Rather than________on a crowded bus，he always prefers________a bicycle.

A. ride；ride B. riding；ride

C. ride；to ride D. to ride；riding

4. —Do you prefer grapes________bananas?

—I prefer grapes________bananas.

A. to；or B. or；to

C. than；to D. or；than

5. —Would you like some coffee?

—Yes，please. By the way，do you have any milk? I prefer coffee________milk.

A. from B. with C. on D. for

Key：1. A 2. D 3. C 4. B 5. B