I prefer, I'll prefer, and I'd prefer

[adenfzn]

Can you explain to me the difference between I prefer, I'll prefer, and I'd prefer?

 

[Rover_KE]

It depends on the context. Please put them into sentences of your own for a start.

 

[adenfzn]

When a friend of mine didn't know how to eat one of Indonesian food "Pempek" (It's a mackerel fish with an egg inside), so he ate it his way by mixing it with some vinegar sauce in a bowl, after that I said to him like: "You can eat Pempek that way, but I'll prefer to dip it into the vinegar sauce, so it's not too soggy and still crunchy while chewing it."
I always use "I would" when someones asks me like: "Would you prefer coffee or tea? I'd prefer tea." And I always use "I'd rather" when someone asks me "Do you want to have some lunch at A restaurant or B restaurant? I'd rather have some lunch at A restaurant." And if someone asks me like: "Do you prefer chocolate or vanilla? I prefer chocolate."
So it makes me confused if someone doesn't ask me first.

 

[jutfrank]

I'll give three simple rules to use:

• Use I prefer to talk about general preferences, which are things which are always true about you. These don't often change.
• Use I'd prefer to talk about specific preferences, which are things that describe how you feel on specific occasions. These can often change.
• Don't use I'll prefer.

he ate it his way by mixing it with some vinegar sauce in a bowl, after that I said to him like: "You can eat Pempek that way, but I'll prefer to dip it into the vinegar sauce, so it's not too soggy and still crunchy while chewing it."

No. Use I prefer because this is your general preference. You are talking about how you usually like to eat it.

I always use "I would" when someones asks me like: "Would you prefer coffee or tea? I'd prefer tea."

Yes, that's correct. Here, you are talking about a specific preference. You don't mean that you always prefer tea—you mean that you would prefer tea on this specific occasion. It is possible that you might prefer coffee the next time he asks.

And I always use "I'd rather" when someone asks me "Do you want to have some lunch at A restaurant or B restaurant? I'd rather have some lunch at A restaurant."

Yes, that's correct.

And if someone asks me like: "Do you prefer chocolate or vanilla? I prefer chocolate."

Yes, that's correct because it's your general preference.

 

[Disckstuckinfan]

What about I'd have preferred? Is this example correct?

My fellow classmates arranged a visit to the Getty. Although I enjoyed it, I'd have preferred going to Venice Beach.

 

[jutfrank]

What about I'd have preferred? Is this example correct?

My fellow classmates arranged a visit to the Getty. Although I enjoyed it, I'd have preferred going to Venice Beach.

Almost. In this example, it's better to use the pattern would prefer to do something. So, your sentence is better as:

I'd have preferred to go to Venice Beach.