When a verb is shown in the 〜ます form without the ます (the 連用形), it means the same as 〜て. This grammar point is common in the written language, but it also gets used in the spoken language because it is not restricted by chronological time as the particle て is.
nominalisation
the thing that is (...) from a verb to a noun. e.g. verb: 好む →好み (think of お好み焼き→ a bake of things you like!) when using a nominalised version of a transitive verb, the meaning stays the same and the nuance does not change much, other than that it no longer emphasises the person doing.
どちら==を好みます==か？ which one do you prefer?
どちら==が好み==です}}か？ which is the one that is preferred?