Jimena Reyes
Is the use of "would better" correct grammatically?

Hello everyone!

I´ve been searching about the use of "would better" in a formal way, but I didn´t get enough information.

From some sources, "had better" is the only correct form to give advice/suggestion for a specific situation, to prevent negative results, and it is recognized as formal.

But, it seems "would better" is kind of informal, but I also found "would better" on this website: http://context.reverso.net/traduccion/ingles-espanol/would+better ;


Does anyone know if "would better" is formally recognized ? or if any Cambridge or Oxford book has mentioned it?

Thank you very much


16 de oct. de 2018 3:25
Comentarios · 11
4

No, it isn't. If you are talking about advisability, the ONLY correct construction is had better, usually contracted to 'd better.


Therein lies the problem.  In comparative constructions, the contraction 'd represents 'would', so many people - including some native speakers - wrongly assume that the 'd' in  "You'd better go" is also a short form of 'would'.  This is wrong. It is never correct to advise someone to leave by saying "You would better go".


So why have you found a page full of 'would better' on Reverso?  The answer's very simple. Look carefully at the sentences. In each case ( apart from number 2, which is incorrect), you're dealing with a straightforward second conditional.  For example, 'either approach would align' or 'such policies would respond'.  The 'would' here is not connected to the adverb 'better' : it's connected to the verb, and it could be replaced with any suitable modal e.g. 'such polices might better respond' or 'such policies will better respond'.  These sentences are formal, but they have nothing at all to do with the fixed phrase 'had better' meaning that a course of action is advisable.

I hope that makes sense.




16 de octubre de 2018
2
To add to the excellent advice the others have provided, I followed the link, and this is a good opportunity to mention that grammar rules should not be memorized blindly, but need to be understood. The examples on the webpage are not using “would better” as a phrase. They are simply sentences where both “better” and “would” happen to appear together. We’re just looking at a verb in the conditional mood (“would” + base form) along with “better” (the comparative degree of “well”). Since the auxiliary “would” is the most common way to form the 2nd conditional, most sentences in the 2nd conditional that also uses the word “better” will necessarily have both words in it. Perhaps an example would better illustrate the point. Or, perhaps a slightly different example would illustrate the point even better. We could replace “would” with any verb we want, or even eliminate it: Perhaps this example illustrates the point better. Alternatively, we could keep the “would” and replace “better” with any other word, or eliminate it: Perhaps this example would illustrate the point more clearly. What I’m saying is, it can be grammatically correct to use the word “would” in just about any sentence. It would also be grammatically correct to use “better” in just about any sentence. Sometimes we use both of them in the same sentence, but they do not constitute a phrase. 

17 de octubre de 2018
2


Su Ki is correct.

Jimena,

In your examples, you have made a few mistakes: 

 "It would better that italki users give more context...= WRONG

This should be    It would be better if...

As SHL says above, you could say It would better the italki community if..., but that is a different construction.


It had better that Italki users give more context...= WRONG

This should be    It would be better if italki...


You had better listen to Julie or... =This is CORRECT, but we would contract it to You'd better.   Because this sounds very similar to "You better...," some people say this.  This is not correct, however. (Unless you are a linguistics major, and then every God-forsaken thing out of the lips of mortal man is "correct" as long as you are a native English speaker. :)  )  It is the same as the situation where native speakers say" I would of gone" because they do not understand that it is I would have gone which contracts to I would've gone.  They are confused by the sound.


You'd better not  shout.

You'd better not cry.

You'd better not pout.

I'm telling you why.

Santa Claus is coming to town.

17 de octubre de 2018
2

you can use "would better" when it is considered that something would serve, or do, or provide something that gives an advantage. 

This is what all the examples of "had better" are doing in your link. (for specific situations ).

"it would better that itlaki users give more context to many of their questions." <-- (does not apply to your question)

I would be better if italki users could give more context to many of their questions" <-- a better more natural daily speaking way of saying the same thing.


"had better" = suggesting or telling someone that something needs to be done or something will happen. In the present or future. 

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/modals-and-modality/had-better

16 de octubre de 2018
2

uuhhh  I think I must disagree.  "would better"  I only use in one specific situation.  For your question my little American brain is telling me that just "better" for advice is by far the correct choice.  "Had better" is used but only sometimes. "Had" to me seems like a useless word in this situation. Here are some examples :  


 " You better  listen to Julie or you will get hit by a car"  

 " You had better listen to Julie or you will get hit by a car"      #1 sounds way more natural and I don't think I would ever use #2.    Both examples "better" means "need to" or "should" else something bad will happen. 


Anyway that is my opinion. 

" Would better" is only used in this type of situation.   " Juan would better fit in another class because of his behavior."   

But I would rarely use this phrase because there are easier ways to say it. 

16 de octubre de 2018
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