Had better… It’s time… – Test-English

Had better (‘d better)

Use

We use had better to give strong advice or to tell someone (including ourselves) what to do.

• I

  ‘d better

  go home. It’s getting late.

• You

  ‘d better

  tell mum what happened before she finds out. 

Had better often implies that something negative will happen if something is not done and it often sounds like a threat or a warning.

• He

  ‘d better

  give me my money back or he’ll be in trouble. 

• You

  ‘d bette

  r behave yourself if you don’t want me to get really angry. 

Form

The word had is a past verb form, but the expression had better is only used to talk about the immediate future.

• You

  ‘d better

  call me soon. I’ll be worried.

After had better we need to use infinitive without to.

• I

  ‘d better

  take a look. (NOT I’d better to take)

Had better not (‘d better not) is the negative form of had better.

• You

  ‘d better not

  say a word about this. 

• I

  ‘d better not

  forget. 

In spoken English we normally use the short form ‘d better. And in informal speech, people sometimes say just better (without had).

• You

  better

  go home.

• I

  better

  get it right this time. 

Had better vs should

We often use should to give advice, to say that something is a good thing. And we use had better to express urgent advice or a warning, with bad consequences if you don’t follow it.

• You

  should

  try the cake. It’s delicious. 

• He

  ‘d better

  hurry up or he’ll miss the cake. 

It’s time

We can use it’s time + to + infinitive or it’s time for someone + to + infinitive to say that someone should do something now or in the future.

• It’s time for you to go

   to the doctor. 

• It’s time to take

   a decision. 

We can also use it’s (about) time + subject + past simple to say that someone should do something now or in the future.

• It’s time you went

   to the doctor. 

• I really think 

  it’s high time you made

  a decision. We can’t go on like this any longer.

Note that we use the past in this form, but we are talking about the future.

We often use this form to complain or criticise.

• It’s time you paid

  me what you owe me.  

• It’s about time you started

  looking for a job.