Question to natives from various regions in the world

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ESL forum > Ask for help > Question to natives from various regions in the world

Question to natives from various regions in the world

67Englishteacher

Question to natives from various regions in the world

Hello dear colleagues!

I �m currently working on giving advice. Of course I gave students the structures "you should" and "if I were you, I would...".
I also thought of "you �d better" but the Canadian assistant working in my school said it was only British. She said "you better" (without the "had") is used, but only in the context of a threat or in anger.
What do you think? Can "you �d better" express "pure" advice as well? And is it used only in Britain?
If possible, I �d like opinions from British, American and Canadian people, and why not Australian or more nationalities.
Thanks in advance!
And have a great weekend!

7 Dec 2012

Anast_mic

As a native speaker (Canadian) I �d also use "you �d better" as a warning, as in "you �d better put your jacket on, you �ll catch your death out there"

but mostly I �d use it as a threat "you �d better do your homework, or else!"

I can �t think of a context where I would use it as "pure" advice, as you say.

my two cents.

7 Dec 2012

pilarmham

I �m not a native speaker, but I lived in the US for several years. You are right, they don �t use "had".

I am currently working with modal verbs and I asked myself the same question: can you consider "had better" for advice? I would say so. The difference I find is that it emphasizes a warning, the possible negative consequences of an action, whereas "should" emphasizes a moral necessity.

I �d love to hear a native speaker about this, too.

7 Dec 2012

cagreis

Hope this helps: you better
	Same as "you should". Implies advice or warning. Common in the southern US, this phrase has been shortened down from: You would be better off if you... You would be better to ... You �d be better... You �d better... You better... Sometimes as a threat, a person will mistakingly say "you had better...", but the correct uncontracted version is "would" not "had". You better get started on that paper if it �s gonna be done by Monday.

But really there �s no big difference:

"Had better" is most commonly used to make recommendations. It can also be used to express desperate hope as well as warn people.

Examples:

You had better take your umbrella with you today. recommendation
That bus had better get here soon! desperate hope
You had better watch the way you talk to me in the future! warning

7 Dec 2012

67Englishteacher

thank you!

7 Dec 2012

EstherLee76

It �s just a bad habit (leaving off the "had"). Americans also commonly misuse "have got" by saying things like "Do you got?" Some linguists say that if everyone is doing it, then it becomes the standard and is no longer bad grammar. I �ll leave them to debate that.

7 Dec 2012

PhilipR

Grammatically it �s you �d better or you had better, but in real life the had is disappearing because it is pronounced very faintly (or as a glottal stop) and many people have even forgotten that there is �d in the expression.

Language is changing constantly, and we are getting to a point where the expression you better is now more used than you �d better. Eventually you better will become correct, if it isn �t considered to be so already.

7 Dec 2012

cindyfreksen

If you are looking at advice you can say: you would do better ...

For example:

"Should I take the M25 to the airport"
"You would do better on the A40 and the M11"

"Should I marry Fred?"
"You would do better with Harry."

The answer to the last one could be "you could do worse"

You �d better, however, sounds like a threat, although Cagreis � last few examples make perfect sense to this ex-pat.

Cindy

8 Dec 2012

67Englishteacher

thanks for the additional answers I got since I last checked the thread!
You �ve all been very helpful!

8 Dec 2012