"they would rather i become" vs "they would rather i became"

Question

"they would rather i become" vs "they would rather i became"

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'They would rather I become' is used when talking about a hypothetical or future situation, while 'They would rather I became' is used when referring to a past situation. The choice between 'become' and 'became' depends on the tense of the verb in the main clause.

Last Updated: March 21, 2024

This phrase is used to express a preference for a hypothetical or future action or state. It is often followed by a verb in the base form.

Examples:

They would rather I become a doctor than a lawyer.
They would rather I become more independent.
They would rather I become a better person.

Alternatives:

they would prefer that I become
they would like me to become
they would rather I be
they would rather I get
they would rather I choose to become

This phrase is used to express a preference for a past action or state. It is often followed by a verb in the past tense.

Examples:

They would rather I became a doctor than a lawyer.
They would rather I became more independent.
They would rather I became a better person.

Alternatives:

they would have preferred that I became
they would have liked me to become
they would rather I had become
they would rather I had been
they would rather I had chosen to become

Answer 1

they would rather i become

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English when referring to a hypothetical or future situation.

Answer 2

they would rather i became

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English when referring to a past situation.

"they would rather i become" vs "they would rather i became"

they would rather i become

they would rather i became

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