Would Rather 2: Preferences About the Past
By the end: I can express a preference about an action that is already over.
Try the activities, then check your answers.
Try the activities, then check your answers.
Choose a short recording.
The speaker’s own past preference
Use would rather have and a past participle to prefer a different completed option. Would rather not have makes the negative preference.
I’d rather have stayed at home.
I’d rather not have sent that message.
Another person’s earlier action
Use would rather with a named subject and past perfect for a preference about their past action.
I’d rather you had called first.
She’d rather we hadn’t told anyone.
Keep the timeline and person
Would rather leave concerns a present/future choice. Would rather have left looks back. State actual events when the contrast matters.
I’d rather leave now.
I’d rather have left earlier, but we stayed.
Separate the departure that happened from the preferred one
This clause tells us when the departure happened.
The perfect infinitive expresses the speaker’s earlier preferred option.
Guided practice
Say or write your answer first. Compare form and meaning with the model.
1. Complete: I’d rather have ___ the train. Use take.
Compare a model and explanation
taken
Have takes a past participle.
2. Make the own-action preference negative: I’d rather have gone.
Compare a model and explanation
I’d rather not have gone.
Not precedes have in the target structure.
3. Complete: I’d rather you ___ told me sooner. Use had.
Compare a model and explanation
had
Different-subject past preference uses past perfect.
4. Correct: I’d rather you have called yesterday.
Compare a model and explanation
I’d rather you had called yesterday.
Use past perfect for the earlier action preference.
5. Identify the actor: I’d rather we had waited.
Compare a model and explanation
We were the intended waiters.
Do not change the subject to only I.
6. Contrast: I’d rather stay / I’d rather have stayed.
Compare a model and explanation
The first concerns a current/future choice; the second looks back.
Have changes the time reference.
7. Add actual facts: I stayed late; I preferred leaving earlier.
Compare a model and explanation
I stayed late, but I’d rather have left earlier.
Do not leave the outcome to inference when it matters.
8. Write a preference about your own past action and another person’s.
Compare a model and explanation
I’d rather have waited. I’d rather you had checked first.
Use the two different structures.
A short conversation
Listen first, then open the transcript when useful.
Open the conversation transcript
A: Was the trip worth it?
B: It was fine, but I’d rather have taken the train.
A: Would you have wanted me to book it?
B: Yes. I’d rather you had asked before buying the bus tickets.
Listening checks
Listen to each extract or open its transcript. These three questions have a separate score.
Mastery quiz
Choose the best answer for each situation. The score is out of eight.
Use it in your own words
Speaking 1
Describe one real or imaginary past choice you would change.
Reveal a possible response
I drove, but I’d rather have taken the train.
Success check: State the actual action separately.
Speaking 2
Express a past preference about someone else’s action politely.
Reveal a possible response
I’d rather you had checked the time first, but we can fix it now.
Success check: Use a past-perfect clause with the correct actor.
Put it all together
Review a small event: one actual fact, your preferred alternative and a preference involving another person.
Reveal a possible response
We met at six. I’d rather have met earlier, and I’d rather the organiser had sent the address in advance.
Success check: Keep actor, timeline and preferred alternative clear.
Take it with you
I can express a preference about an action that is already over.