Be Glad, Would Rather, Had Better Uses and Examples
Using Be Glad
We use glad or pleased to express that we are happy about the current or past situation. Glad or pleased may be followed by any tense. There is no need to shift a tense in positive or negative clauses.
Form: Glad/pleased + (that) + any tense
Examples
Situation: He has passed his test.
Now to express I’m happy about this situation, I’ll use glad or pleased
I’m glad (so happy) he has passed his test.
Situations: They arrived safely.
I’m pleased/ I’m glad to know they arrived safely.
Situation: The temperature didn’t fall.
I am glad the temperature didn’t fall.
Situation: She didn’t call.
I am pleased she didn’t call.
Using Would Rather
Using would rather follow by simple past tense expresses that we are unhappy with other persons behaviour or actions. This is more polite than wish + would.
Form: Would Rather + Past Simple Tense
Examples
- I would rather she didn’t get me up early in the morning.
- I’d rather he didn’t call me by this name.
- I would rather you came home early at night.
Would rather show preference or be used to express someone do something more than another.
Examples
- I would rather have a beer.
- I’m hungry. I would rather take the meal.
- Wouldn’t she rather complete homework tomorrow?
Would rather maybe follow by present or perfect infinitive when would rather and the verb following it have the same subject. For example
- I’d rather sleep in your room this night. (present infinitive)
- I would rather have made a cake for his last birthday party. (perfect infinitive)
But when would rather and the verb following it do not have the same subject, then would rather maybe follow by past tense or past perfect tense. For example
- I’d rather he played well today. (would rather and played have different subjects)
- I would rather you hadn’t gone with him yesterday.
Using Had Better
We use had better followed by bare infinitive for giving advice or suggesting the best thing that someone should do in a particular situation.
Form: Subject + had + better + bare infinitive
- You had better leave the office now before the rain starts. (You had better mean You should)
- You’d better help them as long as you stay here.
- He’d better give me my book back; he owes me soon.
- She’d better take admission to this college.
- He had better tell me everything.
- They had better reach the station at 7:00 or else they may miss the train.
Using had better in Negative Sentences
To make negative sentences, use the word not after had better.
Form: Subject + had + better + not + bare infinitive
- She had better not leave the first flight. (not hadn’t better)
- You had better not take this course; you won’t be able to afford its fees.
- I had better not stay awake till late this night because I have a test at 8 am tomorrow.
- He had better not leave the work place early.
Remember that he’d, you’d, etc., are the contracted form of he had, you had, etc.
For stronger or more emphatic advice, we use must instead of had better. For examples
- She must ask her teacher.
- She’d better ask her teacher.
