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Khoshtip Posted 11 years ago
Grammar
had better
For what tense we can use of phrase had better please? For example if we use:
1- You had better go to room now.
2- You had better have forgotten that issue.
3- You had better to be a teacher in future.
Do all of these correct? That is, it doesn't need to change the tense of "had better" for different tenses? What about changing of the subject, say, I say, I had better ...?
1- You had better go to room now.
2- You had better have forgotten that issue.
3- You had better to be a teacher in future.
Do all of these correct? That is, it doesn't need to change the tense of "had better" for different tenses? What about changing of the subject, say, I say, I had better ...?
Top answer
For me, it seems natural only in the present or future this way: You had better go to your room now. You had better go to school tomorrow.
- For me, it seems natural only in the present or future this way: You had better go to your room now.
- You had better go to school tomorrow.
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9 Answers
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For me, it seems natural only in the present or future this way:
You had better go to your room now.
You had better go to school tomorrow.
You had better go to your room now.
You had better go to school tomorrow.
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I agree that "had better + infinitive", e.g. "You'd better go ...", is much the most common use.
In everyday language I would accept a sentence like "You'd better have done your homework!".
People also use "had better be verb-ing" with a present or near-future sense, e.g. "I'd better be going".*
*Edit: Though now I think about it, I think this one is really only used in
In everyday language I would accept a sentence like "You'd better have done your homework!".
People also use "had better be verb-ing" with a present or near-future sense, e.g. "I'd better be going".*
*Edit: Though now I think about it, I think this one is really only used in
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Thanks for the reply.
And about the past, does you talk mean there is no way to change the phrase "had better" to be proper for using in past tense!?
For example, I want to say, She had better to have spent her time in college not in modeling. Is it wrong?
And about the past, does you talk mean there is no way to change the phrase "had better" to be proper for using in past tense!?
For example, I want to say, She had better to have spent her time in college not in modeling. Is it wrong?
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khoshtip I want to say, She had better to have spent her time in college not in modeling. Is it wrong?It sounds unnatural to me. I'd say "It would have been better if she had spent ... "or "She would have done better to spend ..."
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khoshtipFor example, I want to say, She had better to have spent her time in college not in modeling. Is it wrong?I agree with fivejedjon's comments on this.
As a point of grammar only, "had better to ..." seems inherently ungrammatical to me. So, your original "You had better to be a teacher" and this "She had better to have spent her time ..." do n
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Thank you again.
Of course, I don't think the sentence "You'd better have done your homework." is strictly related to the past. It seems more of present or even future tense to me.
However, I try to bear in my mind that I had better to use of the phrase had better for present and future tenses only!
Of course, I don't think the sentence "You'd better have done your homework." is strictly related to the past. It seems more of present or even future tense to me.
However, I try to bear in my mind that I had better to use of the phrase had better for present and future tenses only!
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khoshtipHowever, I try to bear in my mind that I had better to use of the phrase had better for present and future tenses only!... that I had better use the phrase ...
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