Collins Cobuild

Unit 88
Wants and wishes
Main points
You use ‘would like’ to say what you want.
You use ‘wouldn’t like’ to say what you do not want.
You use ‘would rather’ or ‘would sooner’ to say what you prefer.
You also use ‘wouldn’t mind’ to say what you want.
1
You can say what someone wants by using ‘would like’ followed by a
‘to’-infinitive or a noun group.
I would like to know the date of the next meeting.
John would like his book back.
When  the  subject  is  a  pronoun,  you  often  use  the  short  form  ‘-’d’
instead of ‘would’.
I’d like more information about the work you do.
We’d like seats in the non-smoking section, please.
In  spoken  English,  you  can  also  use  the  short  form  ‘-’d’  instead  of
‘would’ when the subject is a noun.
Sally’d like to go to the circus.
2
You can say what someone does not want by using ‘would not like’ or

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‘wouldn’t like’.
I would not like to see it.
They wouldn’t like that.
3
You use ‘would like’ followed by ‘to have’ and a past participle to say
that someone wishes now that something had happened in the past,
but that it did not happen.
I would like to have felt more relaxed.
She’d like to have heard me first.
You  use  ‘would  have  liked’,  followed  by  a  ‘to’-infinitive  or  a  noun
group,  to  say  that  someone  wanted  something  to  happen,  but  it  did
not happen.
Perhaps he would have liked to be a teacher.
I would have liked more ice cream.
Note the difference. ‘Would like to have’ refers to present wishes about
past events. ‘Would have liked’ refers to past wishes about past events.
4
You can also use ‘would hate’, ‘would love’, or ‘would prefer’, followed
by a ‘to’-infinitive or a noun group.
I would hate to have to move to another house now.
I would prefer a cup of coffee.
Note that ‘would enjoy’ is followed by a noun group or an ‘-ing’ form,
not by a ‘to’-infinitive.
I would enjoy a bath before we go to the theatre.
I would enjoy seeing him again.
I’d enjoy working with him.
5
 You  can  use  ‘would  rather’  or  ‘would  sooner’  followed  by  the  base
form of a verb to say that someone prefers one situation to another.

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I would rather be happy than rich.
He’d rather be playing golf than sitting at his desk.
I’d sooner walk than take the bus.
6
You use ‘I wouldn’t mind’, followed by an ‘-ing’ form or a noun group,
to say that you would like to do or have something.
I wouldn’t mind being the manager of a store.
I wouldn’t mind a cup of tea.

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