We say would rather do something than do something else:
Hed rather stay at home than go out.
When the subject of would rather is different from the subject of the following verb, we use another structure: Id rather somebody + Past Simple
In this structure we use the past, but the meaning is present not past.
Hed rather Luna stayed with him at home and cooked something tasty.
EXERCISE 3
Answer these weird questions using «d rather or «d rather not:
1 Would you rather eat a spider or a snail?
2 Would you rather be invisible or have the ability to fly?
3 Would you rather get lost in the jungle or on an island?
4 Would you rather get stuck on a deserted island alone or together with 4 annoying people?
5 Would you rather be able to teleport anywhere you want or be able to read minds?
6 Would you rather be good-looking but stupid or intelligent but ugly?
7 Would you rather move to a new city every week or never be able to leave the city where you were born?
8 Would you rather be talked about by everybody or ignored by everybody?
9 Would you rather be able to disappear or make other people disappear?
EXERCISE 4
Look at the situations and make sentences using «d rather + someone + Past Simple:
Kudjo is talking to Luna. Complete the sentences, as in the example:
Ill cook dinner if you really want me to, but .Id rather you cooked something delicious tonight.
1 Ill go to the market if you really want me to, but .
2 Ill tidy the room if you really want me to, but .
3 Ill empty the rubbish bin if you really want me to, but .
4 Ill hoover the flat if you really want me to, but .
5 Ill make coffee if you really want me to, but .
6 Ill wash the bowls if you really want me to, but .
7 Ill throw a party this weekend if you really want me to, but .
8 Ill find your favourite toy if you really want me to, but .
9 Ill fight with that nasty Dane if you really want me to, but .
EXERCISE 5
Put the verb in brackets in the correct form and guess the last word of the sentence:
1 Kudjo would rather Luna /not communicate/ with her neighbour so *****.
2 Its high time Luna /behave/ herself in *****.
3 Kudjo would rather /live/ in the country and /eat/ natural *****.
4 Luna would rather /not go/ to the country at all. She is afraid of pigs and *****.
5 Lunas parents would rather Luna /know/ nothing about their skeletons in the *****.
6 Its about time they /stop/ considering Luna to be little and *****.
7 Luna would rather /have/ long blonde hair than short brown *****.
8 Kudjo would rather /not have/ any hair in the hot *****.
9 Its time Kudjo and Luna /find/ a new hobby (for example, fishing) and /forget/ about *****.
EXERCISE 6
Change the sentences using the constructions in brackets:
For example,
Lunas parents are too fussy and it irritates Luna. («d rather) Luna would rather her parents were not so fussy.
1 Kudjo and Luna didnt understand what the bats were trying to tell them because they didnt know their language. (unreal of past)
2 Kudjo has been meaning to learn different languages of birds and mammals. («d rather)
3 Anyway, Kudjo and Luna guessed that the bats wanted to show them something important. (unreal of past)
4 The dogs agreed to follow the bats because they believed them. (unreal of past)
5 The bats would like Kudjo and Luna to go into the forest. («d rather)
6 Luna is a bit scared of going to the middle of nowhere especially after midnight. (unreal of present)
7 Moreover, Lunas parents are in a twit because its too late and Luna hasnt come home yet. (its high time)
8 On the other hand, the bats may know something that can help the dog find the truth. (real condition)
9 Kudjo prefers to follow the bats anywhere in spite of the night time. («d rather)
EXERCISE 7
Enlarge the sentences by using the constructions in brackets:
For example,
Kudjo wants Luna to go with him.
«d rather Kudjo would rather Luna went with him to see what the bats have decided to show them.
Its time Its time Luna stopped being such a coward.
If If Luna were not so cowardly, shed risk going with Kudjo.
1 Lunas parents are worried a lot.
«d rather
Its time
If
2 The bats are still fluttering their wings around Kudjo and Luna.
«d rather
Its time
If
3 The little pup is feeling much better now.
«d rather
Its time
If
4 Luna has agreed to follow the bats but only in the morning.
«d rather
Its time
If
5 The first problem is how to explain it to the bats.
«d rather
Its time
If
6 The next problem is that bats are nocturnal animals.
«d rather
Its time
If
7 Kudjo can see only one option now- hell follow the bats alone.
«d rather
Its time
If
8 Luna doesnt want to let him go without her.
«d rather
Its time
If
9 Finally, Kudjo has made up his mind to go there on his own.
«d rather
Its time
If
⠀
EXERCISE 8
Fill the gaps in the story with missing words:
Kudjo said ***** to Luna and gestured for the bats to start flying. They flew up immediately and moved very slowly and so low that nearly parted Kudjos hair. It looked uncanny. A cloud of ***** and a running ***** under the screen of night. Kudjo had been following the bats for ***** minutes when suddenly he felt somebody else running behind him. He stopped, turned around and sighed with relief. It was Luna. She got scared stiff when she was ***** alone and decided that she would be safer with Kudjo in the middle of nowhere than running alone to her *****.
Kudjo felt relieved of a great weight to see Luna. If she had run on her own to her parents house, hed have worried a lot.
The cloud of bats was circling around impatiently over their *****. Their screeching sounds were getting louder and louder and their ***** were fluttering faster and faster. The dogs realised that they were very ***** to the place the bats wanted them to see. The bats were gesturing for them «Its high time we continued». Kudjo and Luna yipped with agreement and ***** after the cloud of bats.
(to be continued)
EXERCISE 9
Find and correct 17 mistakes in the sentences:
1 Ten minutes later they ran to a weird place. If they wouldnt have seen it with their own eyes they wouldnt believed that such a place could be so close to their country house.
2 It looked as if spring didnt come there yet. They could still see snow here while everywhere around the trees and grass are turning green.
3 Suddenly the dogs felt that something changed. Luna and Kudjo turned around and didnt see any bats. They vanished into thin air.
4 Kudjo and Luna turned out to be in the middle of nowhere without any help and support. If they wouldnt have believed the bats, they would have already came home.
5 What would you done if you had been them? Would you had tried to find the way home or would you continued exploring the place?
6 Of course, Luna would rather Kudjo find the way back home, but Kudjo thinks its about time they find the answers to all their questions in this particular place.
7 They checked every stone, every bush and every tree, but hadnt found anything special.
8 They couldnt understand why the bats wanted them to come here.
9 If the bats can speak Doggish or Kudjo and Luna can speak Battish, everything would be much simpler.
EXERCISE 10
Choose the correct option:
1 Its high time they ***** back home.
a come
b came
c would come
2 Lunas parents would rather Luna and Kudjo ***** at home now.
a were
b are
c would be
3 They ***** more worried if they ***** where Luna is now.
a will be / know
b would be / would know
c would be / knew
4 Luna would rather ***** at home in her bed now, But not in this weird place.
a be
b would be
c is
5 If they ***** those bats, ***** them, they ***** this night in their warm and soft beds.
a wouldnt have believed / wouldnt have followed / had spent
b hadnt believed / hadnt followed / would have spent
c didnt believe / didnt follow / would spend
6 Luna started whimpering and Kudjo decided to go back home. But he didnt remember the way they ***** here.
a had come