Sales have gone down, and obviously we’d prefer it if that didn’t happen.
销售下滑了,显然我们是不希望这样的。
b)NOT DO somethingused when telling someone politely not to do something 我希望〔用于礼貌地告诉别人不要做某事〕
I’d prefer it if you didn’t smoke in front of the children.
我希望你不要在孩子面前抽烟。
Examples from the Corpus
I would prefer it if• I'd prefer it if you would not insult my friends.• I would prefer it if we had a bigger house, but we can't afford it.
3.prefer chargesBritish EnglishBrE lawSCL to make an officialstatement that someone has done something illegal 起诉,提出控告
nGrammar
Patterns with prefer
You prefer to do something:
I prefer to read a book.
✗Don’t say: I prefer read a book.
You prefer doing something:
We prefer going abroad for our vacation.
✗Don’t say: We prefer go abroad.
You say that you would prefer it if someone did something:
We would prefer it if you didn’t tell anyone.
✗Don’t say: We would prefer it if you don’t tell anyone.
Using the progressive
Prefer is not used in the progressive in meaning 1. You say:
I prefer the blue one.
✗Don’t say: I am preferring the blue one.
Examples from the Corpus
prefer• "Which restaurant shall we go to?'' "I really don't mind. Whichever one you prefer.''• Gina could crawl in beside them or sleep on the sofa downstairs if she preferred.• You can ask to speak to a lesbian if you prefer.• A dedicatedbreadeater will usually prefer a dense, sour, small, moist, round pumpernickel to a light rye.• Which color do you prefer - blue or red?• Which bread do you prefer, brown or white?• She doesn't like romanticfiction -- she much prefersdetective stories.• I'm beginning to like Japanese food. I certainly preferrice to potatoes.• Brad Pitt? Oh no, I much prefer Russell Crowe!• Dave wants to go to New York again, but I'd prefer somewhere more exotic.• If invested instead in bonds or preferredstock, that same dollar would be worth less than $ 1,000.• She preferred the sizzlinganimosity between them to this ... this awkwardness.• French people usually prefer to buy goods that are made in France.• He would prefer to help boostpoor working families' incomes through tax breaks.• Cops and gangstersalikeprefer to see pachinko remain uneasily in limbo.• Most of my friends take the bus to school, but I prefer to walk.• When I wrote to congratulate him on the latter, he telephoned, which he apparently preferred to writing.• Mark likes lying on the beach, but I prefer visiting museums.• She seems to prefer watching soapoperas to talking to me.
prefer that• Clearly, most men would prefer thatbattlespass them by completely.• I personally would have preferred thatdecision to already have been taken.• We prefer thatfamed political motto of the Reagan administration: Mistakes were made.• She would have preferred that none of this take place..• I should prefer that the appointments are not given to the governors of the banks of individualmember states.• Some companies prefer that their top executives have specializedbackgrounds and hire individuals who are managers in other organizations.• Be decided from the outset - they prefer that, then they know what they can expect from you.• I would however prefer that you got as much advice as possible from the books first.
Originprefer
(1300-1400)Frenchpréférer, from Latinpraeferre“to put in front, prefer”