Question 1

Why does "would rather" take a bare infinitive?

Accepted Answer

"Would rather" is a fixed expression that developed historically with a bare infinitive. It expresses preference: "I'd rather stay" means "I prefer to stay." Adding "to" is always wrong: never say "I'd rather to stay." "Had better" (advice/warning) also requires a bare infinitive: "You'd better go" never "You'd better to go." These expressions function similarly to modal verbs like "can" and "must," which also take bare infinitives. The negative forms are "would rather not" and "had better not": "I'd rather not go" and "You'd better not be late." Memorise these as complete phrases.

Question 2

What is the difference between "it's no use" and "it's not worth"?

Accepted Answer

"It's no use doing" emphasises that the action is completely pointless and will achieve nothing: "It's no use crying over spilt milk" — crying will not fix anything. "It's not worth doing" emphasises that the effort exceeds the benefit: "It's not worth driving — we can walk" — driving is possible but the effort is not justified. Both suggest you should not do something, but for different reasons. "No use" = will not help at all. "Not worth" = costs more (time, effort) than you gain. A similar expression is "there's no point in doing," which works like "it's no use."

Question 3

How do I use "have difficulty" correctly?

Accepted Answer

"Have difficulty" (or "have trouble/problems") is followed by a gerund: "I have difficulty understanding his accent" or "She had trouble finding the address." Do not use an infinitive: "have difficulty to understand" is wrong. You can also say "have difficulty with" + noun: "I have difficulty with his accent." Related expressions include "have a hard time doing" (American English): "I had a hard time convincing her." These expressions describe struggling to do something. Cambridge exams test "have difficulty doing" because learners often incorrectly use an infinitive based on other verb patterns.

Gerunds and Infinitives: Special Expressions

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