择比句

　　句型［Better+(主语)形容词或副词/名词/(to)动词原形…+than+被比对象］

　　1.    Better late than never.   2. Better to do well than to say well.

　　3.  Better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.

　　4.  Better say nothing than nothing to the purpose.

　　5.  Better die standing than live kneeling. (=it is better to die standing than to live kneeling.)

　　[注] 注意本句型可省略被比对象, 如： Better be with the dead.  Better let the furnace cool a bit.

　　句型［主语+had (would) rather+动词原形…+than+动词原形…］

　　［主语+谓语+rather than+动词原形…］

　　1.    I would (或had) rather join you in research work than go on holiday to the seaside.

　　2.    They would rather die as free men than live as slaves.

　　3.    "I would rather die with my head high, with indestructible faith and profound belief in the destiny of our country, than live in humility and renounce the principles which are sacred to me."

　　4.    Oliver fell on his knees, clasping his hands together, and begged them to kill him if they pleased rather than send him away with that dreadful man.  5. He insisted on staying rather than go

　　句型［主语+prefer+名词或动名词A+to+名词或动名词B…］

　　［主语+prefer+不定式A+rather than+不定式B…］

　　1.    I preferred these ruins to Kate's pointed yellow boots.  2. He prefers doing to talking.

　　3.  The revolutionaries preferred death to dishonor.  4. I prefer to work rather than (to) sit idle.

　　5.  He prefers to write his letters rather than dictate others.

　　[注1] 注意本句型的两式不可混用。不可说 "I prefer doing this rather than that." 只能说 "I prefer doing this to (doing) that. 或 I prefer to do this rather than do that.

　　[注2] prefer的派生词 preferable, preference也都可用以表示择比。有以下方式：

　　1)    "名词A+be+preferable to+名词B" 如： This is preferable to that.

　　2)    "…名词A+in+preference to+名词B" 如： After the noun reason, use that in preference to because.

　　3)    "…preference for+名词A+to+名词B" 如： I have a preference for Chinese to foreign novels.

　　句型［主语+would sooner+动词原形…than+动词原形…］

　　［Sooner than+动词原形…(主句) 主语+would +动词原形…］

　　1.    I would sooner die than do such a thing.

　　2.    Mr. Milton would sooner resign than take part in such dishonest business deals.

　　3.    Sooner than do such work, I would starve.

　　4.    Sooner than marry that man, Eva would earn her living as a waitress.

　　句型［主语+would (had)…as soon/as lief+…as+被弃对象］

　　1.    I had as soon you broke his neck as his finger.

　　2.    I would (just) as soon stay at home as go for a walk.

　　3.    He would as soon kill himself as betray his country.

　　4.    I would as lief (as soon) die as live in dishonor.

　　5.    I would (had) as lief join the Eighth Route Army as anything.

　　句型［主语+…choose+名词A+before+名词B］ ［主语+before+从句］

　　1.    A hero should choose death before dishonor.  2. He chose this before all others.

　　3.  I am willing to work myself to death before I give up.  4. I would do anything before that.

　　5.  We would sooner die fighting first before we allow this to happen to us.

　　[注] 其他如first, leave…for或两个独立分句等也可表示择比， 如： He said he would resign first.

　　He left the bar for the pen.   I like geography, but I prefer history.