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539 Glossary for any unfamiliar terms

Modality | 665

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Had better

403c

Had better

refers to desirable or advisable actions in particular situations. It is

particularly common in spoken language and is normally contracted to ’d better in

informal contexts. The verb form is always had, not have:

[the phone rings]

A: I’d better answer that.

B: Okay.

[looking at the clock]

If that’s the right time, we

’d better hurry.

(We have better hurry.)

✪

Had better 

is not used to refer to general obligations or requirements. In such

cases, have to is used instead: 

You 

have to get good exam grades to get into university.

(You’d better get good exam grades to get into university.)

Had better

is not used to express preferences:

A: Would you like a coffee?

B: I’d better just have a cold soft drink. I won’t be able to sleep otherwise.

(this means: it is advisable/desirable that I have a soft drink; it does not

mean ‘I’d prefer a soft drink’)

The negative of had better is had better not. It can be used to advise or to warn:

We

’d better not stay too late tonight. We’ve got to be up at six tomorrow

morning.

You

’d better not tell Rachel. She’ll be scandalised.

The interrogative of had better is formed by inversion of subject and had:

Shall I phone through or 

had I better write?

Negative interrogatives are much more common than affirmative ones:

Hadn’t you better warn them?

Occasionally, had best may occur as an alternative to had better:

She 

had best talk to their lawyers before saying too much.

I thought perhaps it was me, perhaps I’d been a bit rude, you know. So I

thought I

’d best apologise really. 

666 | Modality

Cambridge Grammar of English

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