You have already met 'd rather: would rather + the base verb, with no to (negative: would rather not). Nothing about that changes here. What this card adds is where it sits — would rather is the everyday, spoken way to pick one of two options. This lesson gives you two more ways to state a preference, and they do not all take the same form.
would rather — the one you already know
would rather /wʊd ˈræðɚ/ — Maya would rather study at Magaff Library than at home.
would rather not /wʊd ˈræðɚ nɑt/ — Sofia would rather not discuss the plan today.
Not ""Lars would rather to take the train." (extra 'to')" — say ""Lars would rather take the train."". After would rather use the base verb with no 'to'.
Try it: Wei: Shall we get the bus to class? Maya: It's a lovely morning. I ___ walk than catch the bus. Which reply is correct? (would rather / would rather to / would prefer) Answer: would rather — 'Would rather' is followed by the base verb 'walk' with no 'to', so it fits. 'Would rather to' is wrong because 'would rather' never takes 'to'. 'Would prefer' would need 'to walk', so it does not fit the gap.
A little more formal: would prefer to
Use would prefer for a specific choice you'd like now. It's followed by to + base verb and sounds slightly more formal than 'would rather'. For the negative, say 'would prefer not to'.
would prefer to /wʊd prɪˈfɝ tə/ — Amina would prefer to meet after lunch.
would prefer not to /wʊd prɪˈfɝ nɑt tə/ — Hiroshi would prefer not to perform first.
Not ""Yasmin would prefer sit near the front." (missing 'to')" — say ""Yasmin would prefer to sit near the front."". Would prefer carries 'to' before the verb, as in 'would prefer to sit'.
Try it: Lars: Should we start the meeting before lunch? Amina: I ___ start after lunch, if that's okay. Which reply is correct and polite? (would prefer to / would prefer / would rather to) Answer: would prefer to — 'Would prefer' needs 'to' before the base verb, so 'would prefer to start' is correct and sounds polite. 'Would prefer' alone drops the needed 'to'. 'Would rather to' is wrong because 'would rather' never uses 'to' at all.
General likes: prefer
Use prefer (without 'would') for what you like in general, not just one moment. It can be followed by a noun, a verb-ing, or to + base verb. To compare two things, use 'prefer X to Y'.
prefer /prɪˈfɝ/ — Lani prefers reading in the morning.
Not ""Diego prefers emails than phone calls." (wrong partner 'than')" — say ""Diego prefers emails to phone calls."". When you compare, prefer pairs with to, not 'than'.
Try it: Diego: Where do you like to study? Lani: I ___ quiet cafés ___ noisy ones. Which reply completes her habit correctly? (prefer / to / prefer / than / would rather / than) Answer: prefer / to — For a general habit you compare two things with 'prefer X to Y', so 'prefer quiet cafés to noisy ones' is right. 'Prefer / than' uses the wrong partner, since 'prefer' takes 'to', not 'than'. 'Would rather / than' works for verbs, as in 'would rather sit than stand', but here we are comparing two nouns.