Upper-Intermediate 📐 Grammar · #162 of 305

Would Rather with Past Tense

Preferences about other people.

Examples

  • I'd rather you stayed.

Key rules

  • Would rather + subject + past simple: preference about others, present/future
  • Would rather + subject + past perfect: regret about the past
  • Same subject: would rather + base verb
  • Negative: would rather you didn't

Common mistakes

  • I would rather you come → I would rather you came
  • I would rather you didn't went → I would rather you hadn't gone
💡 Tip: Different subject means past form.
Practise this topic in the appPractise Upper-Intermediate quiz
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