prefer A to B
Comparing two things
Use to after prefer when comparing alternatives.
He prefers summer to winter.
Many users prefer laptops to tablets.
Prefer to or prefer by?
Prefer is commonly followed by to. Prefer by is not a standard English pattern.
Quick answer
Which preposition follows prefer?
Use prefer to when comparing choices: prefer tea to coffee or prefer to stay home. Do not use prefer by as a direct combination.
I prefer tea to coffee.
They prefer to travel by train.
She would prefer to wait.
They prefer to travel by train.
She would prefer to wait.
Choose the pattern by meaning
These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.
prefer to + verb
Choosing one action
Use the infinitive after prefer for actions.
I prefer to work early.
They prefer to eat at home.
prefer + noun
Expressing a general preference
Prefer can take a direct object without another preposition.
She prefers quiet places.
travel by + transport
Using by in a separate phrase
By may appear after prefer as part of another expression, such as by car or by email.
We prefer to travel by train in winter.
See the difference in context
The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.
Construction
Example
Meaning
prefer to
I prefer coffee to tea.
Standard structure for comparisons.
prefer by
They prefer to communicate by email.
By belongs to communicate by email, not to prefer itself.
prefer + noun
She prefers silence.
Direct-object pattern without a preposition.
Common mistakes
Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.
Using prefer by directly
Prefer does not normally take by after it.
✕ I prefer by train. ✓ I prefer to travel by train.Omitting to in comparisons
Use to between the two compared items.
✕ She prefers tea than coffee. ✓ She prefers tea to coffee.Quick practice
Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.
1. I prefer walking ___ driving.
2. They prefer ___ stay home tonight.
3. We prefer to travel ___ train.
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Frequently asked questions
Is prefer by correct?
No. Prefer by is not a standard verb-preposition combination.
Can prefer be followed by an infinitive?
Yes. Prefer to do something is very common.
Why does by sometimes appear after prefer?
By usually belongs to another phrase such as by car, by email, or by mistake.
Related preposition guides
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