PREFER
The most common term used is ‘prefer’, we use it in both questions and answers.
Do you prefer coffee or tea?
I prefer tea to coffee.
RATHER
‘Rather’ is used for more specific preferences or when talking about a hypothetical scenario. We use it with the modal verb ‘would’.
Would you rather stay home or come with me?
I’d rather stay tonight.
Would you rather learn a third language or only be bilingual?
I’d rather learn a third language.
LIKE (…) BETTER
This one is also used when talking about preferences, mostly in American English. We use ‘than’ after this one.
I like tea better than coffee
Even though living in a big city is nice, I think I like living in a small city better
I like Italian cuisine better than Brazilian
WOULD YOU RATHER…?
→ only eat burnt food or always bite your tongue while eating?
→ live-stream your entire life or never go on social medias again?
→ be the final boy/girl of a horror movie or the villain of a kids’ movie?
→ have a home gym or a home cinema?
→ get a large tattoo of a person you dislike on your back or get a masters in a field you hate?
→ travel 10 years back in the past or 2 years into the future? (you can’t come back)
→ only have spoons or only have forks?
→ be the only person that gets to live forever or the only person that doesn’t?
→ be funny but not cool, or be cool but not funny?
→ have a stupid partner or a lazy partner?
→ never listen to music again or always listen to music even inside your head?
→ have arms sized fingers or fingers sized arms?
→ only watch your favorite movie/tv show or watch anything but your favorite movie/tv show?
