had better

Question

I was about to lock the entrance door when I felt I had better take my umbrella.

Anything wrong with this sentence, especially with "had better"?

BTW: Anyone using Windows Internet Explorer 7? Why can't I use B, I, U when writing posts?

Myprofe · Accepted Answer

DiamondrgI was about to lock the entrance door when I felt I had better take my umbrella.

This sentence is fine.

Diamondrg · Answer

can "had better" be used to express a past necessity? I've always considered it a present tense.

Myprofe · Answer

No. For past obligation you could say, "You should have done that or you had to do that".

BarbaraPA · Answer

Well, let's say I told my daughter to clean her room before she was allowed to go play with a friend. Then I do something else, and later, I wonder whether she did clean her room like I had told her too. I might think "She'd better have gotten that room picked up." That's one way to use it for past.

So - it's now pouring rain. You show your umbrella to your colleague: "You'd better have brought yours too, or you'll get soaked! It's raining cats and dogs out there."

Myprofe · Answer

You're right.

You had better do. = I suggest you do.

You had better have done. = I suggest that you do before a future time.

You should do. = I suggest you do.

You should have done. = I suggested you did but you didn't.

You have to do. = I order you to do.

You had to do. = You were ordered to do.

You had to have done. = You were ordered to do by a certain time.

Diamondrg · Answer

MyprofeNo. For past obligation you could say, "You should have done that or you had to do that".

but how can it be "present" in that sentence?

- I felt I had better take my umbrella.

It is something like:

a- I felt I must say that to her.

b- I felt I had to say that to her.

Would you use either?

"had better" example, to me, is similar to a.

Myprofe · Answer

Diamondrg
MyprofeFor past obligation you could say, "You should have done that or you had to do that".

but how can it be "present" in that sentence?

- I felt I had better take my umbrella.

It is something like: a- I felt I must say that to her.

"Felt" is in the past but the need to talk to her is still in the present.

"Had better" is always present in the same way that "must, should and ought to" are always present.

Every day I feel I must/should/had better talk to her.

Yesterday I felt that I must talk to her and I will feel that I must talk to her again tomorrow.

But if you eliminate "feel" from the sentence then you have to use the past forms:

I should have talked to her yesterday.

I ought to have talked to her yesterday.

I had to have talked to her yesterday.

Diamondrg · Answer

MyprofeI should have talked to her yesterday.

I ought to have talked to her yesterday.

I had to have talked to her yesterday.

do these sentences make whether I talked to her or not clear? or do they just express a past necessity without implying whether I did that or not?

Marius Hancu · Answer

Diamondrg
MyprofeI should have talked to her yesterday.

I ought to have talked to her yesterday.

I had to have talked to her yesterday.
do these sentences make whether I talked to her or not clear? or do they just express a past necessity without implying whether I did that or not?

You did NOT, in most of the cases.

Marius Hancu · Answer

Had better used in a past context (reported speech):
-------
"As a matter of fact, Rose saw him across the street but she thought
she had better go on to you."

The Arrow of Gold by Conrad, Joseph
http://www.literaturepost.com/chapter/6692.html
-------

Direct speech, present:
"As a matter of fact, Rose sees him across the street but she thinks:
'She had better go on to you.'"

Direct speech, past:
"As a matter of fact, Rose saw him across the street but she thought:
'She had better go on to you.'"

Thus, yes, just like must, it doesn't change in past contexts.

had better

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions