ENGLISH
REFERENCE

preferring

v.
B1 Intermediate US //pɹɪˈfɝɪŋ// UK //pɹɪfˈɜːɹɪŋ// pre·fer·ring

v. liking one thing or person more than another. You use this when you choose one option because it seems better to you.

v. the present participle of 'prefer'; indicates a greater liking for one alternative over another. Stative in nature; rarely used in continuous tenses in formal writing.


SIMPLE

She is preferring tea over coffee these days.

CONTEXTUAL

Many students are preferring digital textbooks this semester because they are easier to carry to class.

COMPLEX

While the committee acknowledged the efficiency of the new proposal, several members remained cautious, preferring the stability of the established protocols despite their slower pace.

Synonyms
Usage

Often followed by a noun or gerund; typically takes the preposition 'to' rather than 'than' when comparing two things.

Pitfall

I am preferring this one than that oneI prefer this one to that onePrefer is a stative verb and is usually used in the simple present, not the continuous; it also takes 'to' for comparisons.

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