Had better

Had better: form and meaning 

'Had better' is used to talk about actions we think people should do or which are desirable in a specific situation. It refers to the present or the future. The verb form is always had, not have. We normally shorten it to 'd better in informal situations, as 'had' doesn't have any meaning to it in the expression. It is followed by the infinitive without to:

• We had better buy travel insurance this time. 
• We'd better get going. It looks like a storm is coming soon. 
• My doctor said I had better use less salt in my food because I've got prehypertension.

 

'Had better' is similar in meaning to 'should', but it is used for more urgent advice with bad cosequences if you don't follow it:

• You had better quit smoking or you'll die.

 

Had better: negative and question forms

The negative form of 'had better' is 'had better not':

• Thank you but I'd better not have another glass of wine because I'm driving.
• You'd better not tell Sujin about the broken glass. She'll go crazy!

The question form of 'had better' is made with 'had' coming out in the beginning of a sentence. This means the same as 'should', but is more formal:

• Had I better speak to Sujin first before I send this form off? What do you think?
• Had we better bting cash?
• Hadn't we better practice more?

 

Had better: typical errors 

We use 'have to', 'have got to', or 'must' to talk about obligations or requirements instead of 'had better':

• A: Do you have to go? B: Yes, I'm afraid I really have to. 

 

If you want to express your preference for something. Do not use 'had better'. Use 'would rather' or 'would prefer' instead:

• I'd rather drink water instead of juice. (This is my general preference.)
• I'd better drink water instead of juice. (Water is better for me. I need to drink it for my health.)

 

We don't use 'had beter' to make ordinary suggestions or recommendations:

• I have just spent a holiday there and would recommend it to anyone.