Poultry is rather cheap now.现在的禽肉相当便宜。

I would rather stay at home.我宁可呆在家里。

I would rather fail than cheat in the examination.我宁愿考不及格，也不愿意考试作弊。

These shoes are rather too big.这双鞋有点太大了。

This book is rather too easy for this boy.
这本书对于这个孩子来说太简单。

I reckon that he is rather too old to marry again.
我认为他的年龄太大,不太适于再结婚。

I have a rather bad cold.
我得了重感冒。

He is driving rather fast.
他车子开得相当快。

This restaurant is rather more expensive than that.
这家餐厅的收费比那家贵得多。

I rather thought he'd stay here.
我认为他应该留在这儿。

I was rather surprised at her behaviour.
我对她的行为感到十分惊奇。

That's rather the impression I wanted to give.
那正是我要给人们的印象。

That's rather a nuisance.
那简直讨厌极了。

She's got a rather good voice.
她的嗓子不错。

We've been having the rather cold weather.
近日来天气相当冷。

rather是程度副词,用来修饰原级或比较级形容词和副词、动词、分词或单数名词,意思是“有些”“相当”“多少地”,常用于负面含意。rather可和too连用,作程度状语,但此时不可以修饰比较级。

rather用以减弱而不是加强其后所跟的词或词组的作用,如拒绝别人请求帮助时,显得比较客气,又如为了谦虚,可用这词使自己在引人注目的场面表现得乐而不狂。

rather一般放在不定冠词前面,名词前有形容词时,也可放在不定冠词后面。

rather than和more...than的比较：前者表示“与其……倒不如……”，后者表示“更……比起……”，注意词组more...than中的than前面不可以加上rather。

He depends on you rather than on me.
他依赖你胜过依赖我。

在rather加形容词再加名词的结构中，冠词a置于rather前后都可以，如a rather big dog和rather a big dog（一只相当大的狗）两种表达都可以；

had rather属于习惯用语，表示“宁愿，宁可”，主语短语中必须用had，不可以改成have，且一般其后面接不含to的不定式。

I had rather stay with John than with Charles.
比起查尔斯我宁可和约翰呆一起。

had/would rather后一般接不含that所引导的从句，且从句用虚拟语气。had/would rather后还可接than，再加不含to的不定式，还要注意would rather后只可接动词原形。

I would/had rather you paid me now.
我宁愿你现在付钱给我。

I would rather stay here than go on hopday.
我宁愿呆在这里，也不愿意去度假。

prefer to...rather than...表示“比起……更喜欢……做某事”，注意结构中than后直接加动词原形，而不是不定式to do。

I prefer to work rather than remian idle.
比起无所事事，我更喜欢工作。

fairly，quite，rather以及pretty的比较：四个词均属于程度副词。Fairly一般修饰形容词与副词，表示很一般的程度。 quite一般修饰动词和名词，表示的程度要比fairly深一点。 rather一般修饰动词（尤其时感观动词）和名词，表示的程度比quite要更强烈一点，意为“比预期的还要多一些”。 pretty是非正式用语，修饰形容词与副词，表示的程度与rather相当。

“How was the film?”
“Fairly good. Not the best one I’ve seen this year.”

“How was the film？”
“Quite good. You ought to go.”

“How was the film?”
“Rather good. I was surprised.”

“How’s things?”
“Pretty good. You OK?”

Poultry is rather cheap now.现在的禽肉相当便宜。

I would rather stay at home.我宁可呆在家里。

I would rather fail than cheat in the examination.我宁愿考不及格，也不愿意考试作弊。

These shoes are rather too big.这双鞋有点太大了。

This book is rather too easy for this boy.
这本书对于这个孩子来说太简单。

I reckon that he is rather too old to marry again.
我认为他的年龄太大,不太适于再结婚。

I have a rather bad cold.
我得了重感冒。

He is driving rather fast.
他车子开得相当快。

This restaurant is rather more expensive than that.
这家餐厅的收费比那家贵得多。

I rather thought he'd stay here.
我认为他应该留在这儿。

I was rather surprised at her behaviour.
我对她的行为感到十分惊奇。

That's rather the impression I wanted to give.
那正是我要给人们的印象。

That's rather a nuisance.
那简直讨厌极了。

She's got a rather good voice.
她的嗓子不错。

We've been having the rather cold weather.
近日来天气相当冷。

• pretty
• quite
• very