一、rather常用于下列句式中，其后跟动词原形。表示“宁愿…（而）不愿…，或“与其…倒不如…”。
would rather do sth. than do sth
would do sth. rather than do sth.
prefer to do sth. rather than do sth.
例如：我宁愿去打网球而不愿去游泳。
 I’d rather play tennis than swim.
(=I’d play tennis rather than swim. )
（=I’d prefer play tennis rather than swim.）

【经典习题】
1. ----Shall we go skating or stay at home？
-----Which ____ do yourself？
A．do you rather    B．would you rather    
C．will you rather   D．should you rather

2. To enjoy the scenery, Irene would rather spend long hours on the train _____ travel by air.
A. as      B. to      C. than     D. while

3. ----- Would you ______ have tea or wine?
----- ______. I prefer coffee.
A.rather, Either   B. rather, Neither    
C. like, neither     D. rather, Both

4. Who would you rather ______ the report instead of you？
A. have write       B. have to write        
C. write            D. have written
解析：答案为A。此题还原为You would rather have who write the report instead of you.可知句式为：have sb. do sth.

5. ----- Who would you rather ______ the Olympic Maths Competition?
----- LiHua, I think, is the best choice.
A. have attended    B. have attend   C. attending   D. to attend
注：1. 有时可将rather than置于句首来加强语气。如：
Rather than refuse to help you, I would borrow money from my friends.
我宁可向朋友借钱，也不愿拒绝帮助你。

【经典习题】
Rather than ____ on a crowded bus，he always prefers ____ a bicycle．
A．ride；ride   B．riding；ride  C．ride；to ride  D．to ride；riding

2. 其否定式在rather后加not。如：
I’d rather not tell you about it. 那件事我宁愿不告诉你。
I’d rather not say anything. 我宁可什么也不说。

二、would rather后可接从句，从句用一般过去式，即would rather sb. did sth.，表示宁愿某人现在或将来要做某事；表示用过去完成时,即would rather sb. had done sth. ，表示宁愿某人过去做过某事。如：
I would rather you came tomorrow. 我宁愿你明天来。
He’d rather you came on Friday. 他比较希望你在星期五来。
I’d rather you had been / hadn’t been present。我(宁)愿你当时在场 / 不在场。
I’d rather you hadn’t told him the news that day. 我真希望你那天没有把那消息告诉他。

【经典习题】
1. ---- Do you mind if I keep pets in this building?
   ----_______.
A. I’d rather you didn’t, actually.       B. Of course not, it’s not allowed here
C. Great! I love pets                          D. No, you can’t

2. I would rather you _______ with us yesterday, but you left.
A. had stayed    B. stay     C. stayed    D. have stayed

3. Who would you rather ______ you repair your CD player?
A. help   B. helped   C. helping   D. to help
句式为：would rather sb. did sth. 是虚拟语气
此题还原为You would rather who helped you repair your CD player.可知答案为B

三、would rather 可接动词的完成式，即 would rather（not） have done sth.表示“宁愿做过某事但事实没做”或“宁愿没做过某事但事实却做了”，表示事实与愿望相反。如：
If she’d had the chance, she’d rather have lived 100 years ago.
如属可能，她宁愿生活在100年以前。

【经典习题】
1. -----Did you quarrel with the boss about your pay yesterday?
----- Yes, but _______ that.
A. I’d rather do                      B. I’d like to do
C. I’d rather not have done.  D. I’d like to have done.


四.rather than 经常用在"平行结构"里,即连接两个对等成分。 它连接的并列成分可以是名词、代词、形容词、介词(短语)、动名词、分句、不定式、动词等。现分述如下： 
(1) 连接两个名词或代词
He is an explorer rather than a sailor. 与其说他是一个海员，不如说他是一个探险者。
You rather than I are going to go camping. 是你而不是我要去要野营。
注：rather than 连接两个名词或代词作主语时，谓语动词应与rather than 前面的名词或代词在人称和数上保持一致。

(2) 连接两个形容词
The sweater she bought was beautiful rather than cheap. 与其说她买的这件羊毛衫便宜不如说它漂亮。

(3) 连接两个介词(短语)或动名词
We will have the meeting in the classroom rather than in the great hall. 我们是在教室里开会，不是在大厅里。
She enjoys singing rather than dancing. 她喜欢唱歌，而不喜欢跳舞。

(4) 连接两个分句
We should help him rather than he should help us.
是我们应该帮助他而不是他应该帮助我们。

(5) 连接两个不定式
I decided to write rather than (to) telephone. 我决定写信而不打电话。
注意：rather than 后接不定式时，不定式可以带to，也可以不带to, 如上句。但rather than位于句首时，则只能接不带to 的不定式。如：Rather than allow the vegetables to go bad, he sold them at half price. 他唯恐蔬菜烂掉，把它们以半价卖掉了。

(6) 连接两个动词
He ran rather than walked. 他是跑来的，而不是走来的。
注：这里rather than 后用了walked，而没有用walk，表示客观事实，而不是主观愿望。如果换成walk，则作“宁愿……而不愿 ……”解。

五、or rather这一短语意为"更确切地"，表示想要纠正已经说过的话,或欲使已说过的话更确切。
如: 
He worked till late last night, or rather, early in the morning.
他一直工作到深夜,或者更确切地说,到今天凌晨。
The building is like a palace, or rather a temple.
这幢建筑物像一座宫殿,或者更确切地说像一座寺庙。

六、rather作副词用时, 还可作"相当;颇;有点儿"解。
如: 
You've done rather well.你做得相当好。
The way he is living is rather strange to me. 他的生活方式我觉得很怪。

【注】 rather可放在不定冠词前,也可放在不定冠词之后,还可以和动词连用。
如:
That is rather a surprising result.
 =That is a rather surprising result.
那是一个相当惊人的结果。
I rather like to go for a walk after supper. 我颇喜欢在晚饭后出去散步。

   rather可以修饰比较级,还可和too连用。
如:
This computer is rather more expensive than that one.这部电脑比那部昂贵一些。
This book is rather too difficult for the beginners.这部书对初学者来说太难了

一、rather常用于下列句式中，其后跟动词原形。表示“宁愿…（而）不愿…，或“与其…倒不如…”。
would rather do sth. than do sth
would do sth. rather than do sth.
prefer to do sth. rather than do sth.
例如：我宁愿去打网球而不愿去游泳。
 I’d rather play tennis than swim.
(=I’d play tennis rather than swim. )
（=I’d prefer play tennis rather than swim.）

【经典习题】
1. ----Shall we go skating or stay at home？
-----Which ____ do yourself？
A．do you rather    B．would you rather    
C．will you rather   D．should you rather

2. To enjoy the scenery, Irene would rather spend long hours on the train _____ travel by air.
A. as      B. to      C. than     D. while

3. ----- Would you ______ have tea or wine?
----- ______. I prefer coffee.
A.rather, Either   B. rather, Neither    
C. like, neither     D. rather, Both

4. Who would you rather ______ the report instead of you？
A. have write       B. have to write        
C. write            D. have written
解析：答案为A。此题还原为You would rather have who write the report instead of you.可知句式为：have sb. do sth.

5. ----- Who would you rather ______ the Olympic Maths Competition?
----- LiHua, I think, is the best choice.
A. have attended    B. have attend   C. attending   D. to attend
注：1. 有时可将rather than置于句首来加强语气。如：
Rather than refuse to help you, I would borrow money from my friends.
我宁可向朋友借钱，也不愿拒绝帮助你。

【经典习题】
Rather than ____ on a crowded bus，he always prefers ____ a bicycle．
A．ride；ride   B．riding；ride  C．ride；to ride  D．to ride；riding

2. 其否定式在rather后加not。如：
I’d rather not tell you about it. 那件事我宁愿不告诉你。
I’d rather not say anything. 我宁可什么也不说。

二、would rather后可接从句，从句用一般过去式，即would rather sb. did sth.，表示宁愿某人现在或将来要做某事；表示用过去完成时,即would rather sb. had done sth. ，表示宁愿某人过去做过某事。如：
I would rather you came tomorrow. 我宁愿你明天来。
He’d rather you came on Friday. 他比较希望你在星期五来。
I’d rather you had been / hadn’t been present。我(宁)愿你当时在场 / 不在场。
I’d rather you hadn’t told him the news that day. 我真希望你那天没有把那消息告诉他。

【经典习题】
1. ---- Do you mind if I keep pets in this building?
   ----_______.
A. I’d rather you didn’t, actually.       B. Of course not, it’s not allowed here
C. Great! I love pets                          D. No, you can’t

2. I would rather you _______ with us yesterday, but you left.
A. had stayed    B. stay     C. stayed    D. have stayed

3. Who would you rather ______ you repair your CD player?
A. help   B. helped   C. helping   D. to help
句式为：would rather sb. did sth. 是虚拟语气
此题还原为You would rather who helped you repair your CD player.可知答案为B

三、would rather 可接动词的完成式，即 would rather（not） have done sth.表示“宁愿做过某事但事实没做”或“宁愿没做过某事但事实却做了”，表示事实与愿望相反。如：
If she’d had the chance, she’d rather have lived 100 years ago.
如属可能，她宁愿生活在100年以前。

【经典习题】
1. -----Did you quarrel with the boss about your pay yesterday?
----- Yes, but _______ that.
A. I’d rather do                      B. I’d like to do
C. I’d rather not have done.  D. I’d like to have done.


四.rather than 经常用在"平行结构"里,即连接两个对等成分。 它连接的并列成分可以是名词、代词、形容词、介词(短语)、动名词、分句、不定式、动词等。现分述如下： 
(1) 连接两个名词或代词
He is an explorer rather than a sailor. 与其说他是一个海员，不如说他是一个探险者。
You rather than I are going to go camping. 是你而不是我要去要野营。
注：rather than 连接两个名词或代词作主语时，谓语动词应与rather than 前面的名词或代词在人称和数上保持一致。

(2) 连接两个形容词
The sweater she bought was beautiful rather than cheap. 与其说她买的这件羊毛衫便宜不如说它漂亮。

(3) 连接两个介词(短语)或动名词
We will have the meeting in the classroom rather than in the great hall. 我们是在教室里开会，不是在大厅里。
She enjoys singing rather than dancing. 她喜欢唱歌，而不喜欢跳舞。

(4) 连接两个分句
We should help him rather than he should help us.
是我们应该帮助他而不是他应该帮助我们。

(5) 连接两个不定式
I decided to write rather than (to) telephone. 我决定写信而不打电话。
注意：rather than 后接不定式时，不定式可以带to，也可以不带to, 如上句。但rather than位于句首时，则只能接不带to 的不定式。如：Rather than allow the vegetables to go bad, he sold them at half price. 他唯恐蔬菜烂掉，把它们以半价卖掉了。

(6) 连接两个动词
He ran rather than walked. 他是跑来的，而不是走来的。
注：这里rather than 后用了walked，而没有用walk，表示客观事实，而不是主观愿望。如果换成walk，则作“宁愿……而不愿 ……”解。

五、or rather这一短语意为"更确切地"，表示想要纠正已经说过的话,或欲使已说过的话更确切。
如: 
He worked till late last night, or rather, early in the morning.
他一直工作到深夜,或者更确切地说,到今天凌晨。
The building is like a palace, or rather a temple.
这幢建筑物像一座宫殿,或者更确切地说像一座寺庙。

六、rather作副词用时, 还可作"相当;颇;有点儿"解。
如: 
You've done rather well.你做得相当好。
The way he is living is rather strange to me. 他的生活方式我觉得很怪。

【注】 rather可放在不定冠词前,也可放在不定冠词之后,还可以和动词连用。
如:
That is rather a surprising result.
 =That is a rather surprising result.
那是一个相当惊人的结果。
I rather like to go for a walk after supper. 我颇喜欢在晚饭后出去散步。

   rather可以修饰比较级,还可和too连用。
如:
This computer is rather more expensive than that one.这部电脑比那部昂贵一些。
This book is rather too difficult for the beginners.这部书对初学者来说太难了