Cambridge Grammar of English Hardback with cd-rom a comprehensive Guide

Different subjects

Would rather

may also be followed by a clause containing a different subject. In

this case, would rather is followed by a finite clause with the verb in past

subjunctive form (

Û

159e

):

I’

d rather she came on Tuesday than Monday.

I

’d rather it were this way.

Û

539 Glossary for any unfamiliar terms

Modality | 669

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The negative occurs in the finite clause, not attached to would rather:

I

’d rather you didn’t say anything about it at all.

(I’d rather not you said anything about it at all.)

In very informal usage, an object pronoun + infinitive without to construction

may occur:

I

’d rather him tell her the news than me.

(more formal equivalent: I’d rather he told her the news than me.)