Page 507 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford

Note that would rather like does not mean 'would prefer'; in this expression, rather means 'quite', and does not suggest preference. Compare:
I'd rather like a cup ofcoffee. (= I'd quite like ...)
- Oh, would you? I'd rather have a glass ofbeer. (= I'd prefer ...)
3 would rather: past tense with present or future meaning We can use would rather to say that a person would prefer somebody to do
something. We use a special structure with a past tense. would rather + subject + past tense
I'd rather you went home now.
Tomorrow's difficult. I'd rather you came next weekend. My wife would rather we didn't see each other any more. Shall I open a window?", I'd rather you didn't.
A present tense or present subjunctive is possible (e.g. I'd rather he goes / he go home now), but unusual. To talk about past actions, a past perfect tense is possible.
I'd rather you hadn't done that.
However, this kind of idea is usually expressed with I wish (see 630).
I wish you hadn't done that.
In older English, had rather was used in the same way as would rather. This structure is still found in grammars, but it is not nonnally used.
For other structures where a past tense has a present or future meaning. see 426.
4 or rather
People often use or rather to correct themselves.
He's a psychologist - or rather, a psychoanalyst. (NOT •.• BF better, 4
psyehB4,tttlyst. )
5 would rather and had better
Note that would rather (= would prefer) is not the same as had better (::: should) - see 230. Compare:
I suppose I'd better clean the windows, but I'd rather watch Tv.
492 reason
The preposition for is used both before and after reason.
What's the real reason for your depression? (NOT . . . retl3tm B/)'fJf:tr
t1epre33iB",n
I need to talk to you for two reasons.
Reason can be followed by a clause beginning why . .. or that . ... The reason why I came here was to be with my family.
Do you know the reason that they're closing the factory?
In an infonnal style, why/that is often left out.
The reason she doesn't like me is that I make her nervous.
Some people consider it incorrect to use a because-clause as a complement after reason (as in Sorry I'm late - the reason is because I overslept.)
reason 492
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