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Formula 1

Do you prefer X to. Y?

Aims

In this lesson you'll master the Formula for Do you prefer X to Ytype questions. Do you prefer writing letters or sending emails? Do you prefer talking on the phone or chatting online? Do you prefer to travel by bike or on foot?

The formula

When the examiner asks you Do you prefer X to Y? type questions, you must:

Language steps

  1. Master prefer + verb-ing
    I prefer walkjn.g. and prefer + to verb. I prefer to walk.,

  2. Use comparatives of convenience or greater benefit like a native speaker.

    1. Travelling by bus isfaster them g0ing by car. Do you prefer X to Y

Native speaker words

Let's learn some native speaker words which are useful for answering this type of question. These words can also help you understand the model answers on the next page more thoroughly.

NATIVE SPEAKER WORD PART OF SPEECH DEFINITION EXAMPLE SENTENCE
convenient adjective fitting in well with a person’s needs or plans Is it convenient for you to meet Friday afternoon?
actually adverb in fact; really (usually used before a slightly surprising statement) Many people think that philosophy is really boring, but it’s actually quite fascinating when you start finding out about it.
get stuck verb to get into a situation when you cannot move easily (It can be used in an abstract or specific situation. It is often used when you cannot move in a traffic jam.) We got stuck in traffic for hours and so we missed our plane.
traffic jam noun a lot of vehicles very close together so that they cannot move Traffic jams are usually just caused by the amount of cars on the road, rather than by accidents. This is why there are always traffic jams during rush hour.
means of transport noun all the different types of transport: cars, buses, trains, the subway, planes, etc. Although a car is probably the most popular means of transport, it is not very suitable for modern life in cities, where they are too expensive and there is not enough space to drive them.
smiley noun a small image used in chat rooms online by users to indicate different emotions (It can also be sent by mobile phone or email. Example: 😊) Whenever I make a joke about somebody while I am on the Internet and I worry that somebody might get angry, I just put a smiley at the end of my message to show I was only joking.
online adjective/adverb on the Internet I won’t let my child surf the Web; there are too many dangerous and dirty things online.
sociable adjective describing somebody who likes meeting new people or spending time with people Mark isn’t a very sociable person at all; he hardly ever goes out to have fun and spends all his time alone in his room playing computer games.