Understanding ‘Prefer’: Essential IELTS Vocabulary
Learn the meaning, usage, and common mistakes associated with the verb ‘prefer’. This video covers its definition, etymology, synonyms, antonyms, and provides practical examples to help you use ‘prefer’ correctly in your IELTS speaking and writing tasks.
Have you ever been asked to choose between two options? Maybe it was deciding what to eat for dinner or which movie to watch.
In these situations, you probably had a preference. Today, we’re going to learn about the word prefer, an important vocabulary item for your IELTS preparation.
Word type: Prefer is a verb. It’s an action word we use to express our likes and choices.
Meaning: To prefer means to like something or someone more than another person or thing.
It’s about choosing one thing over another because you like it better.
Word history: The word prefer comes from Latin.
It’s made up of two parts: pre, meaning before, and ferre, meaning to carry or bring. So, prefer literally means to put one thing before another.
Synonyms: Some words that mean almost the same as prefer are choose, favor, and like better.
Antonyms:
Words that mean the opposite of prefer include dislike and reject.
Examples use in sentences: Let’s look at how we can use prefer in sentences.
I prefer tea to coffee in the morning. Many students prefer to study in quiet environments. When traveling, she prefers to stay in hotels rather than hostels.
These examples show how prefer is often used with to or rather than when comparing two things. Common errors in use:
Be careful not to confuse prefer with preferable. Preferable is an adjective, while prefer is a verb.
For example, we say I prefer this option, not I preferable this option. Also, remember that after prefer, we use the -ing form of a verb, not the infinitive.
So we say I prefer reading books to watching movies, not I prefer to read books to watch movies. Now you know how to use the word prefer correctly in your IELTS speaking and writing tasks.
Practice using it when describing your choices and likes. The more you use it, the more natural it will become.
Good luck with your IELTS preparation!
