adjective · neutral
preferable
/ˈprɛfərəbl/PREF·er·able
Band 6-7task2speaking
More desirable or suitable compared with another option.
Examples
“It is preferable to walk to school when the weather is nice.”
“A small class size is preferable for language learning.”
“For safety, it is preferable that children wear helmets when cycling.”
Band 8 sentence
“Given the time constraints, it is preferable to focus on quality over quantity when designing the curriculum.”
Collocations
- preferable to
- preferable for
- preferable that + clause
Word family
prefer verbpreference nounpreferably adverb
Common mistakes
more preferable→preferable
preferable than→preferable to
Say it for a higher band
5better→6more desirable→7+preferable
Synonyms
more desirable
better
Easily confused
desirable
“A quiet neighbourhood is often considered a desirable place to raise children.”
Related words
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In -able / -ible
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