This document provides information on the use of "had better" and "would rather" in English. It explains that "had better" is used to advise something is preferable, using the present or future tense. "Would rather" expresses preference, using "would prefer" for specific preferences and "prefer" for general preferences. Examples of the structures and contractions of "had better" and "would rather" are given. The document also covers three types of conditionals in English - zero, first, and second conditionals - and provides examples of how to form sentences using each one. Exercises are included for learners to practice using "had better", "would rather", and the different conditional structures.

1. English class 18
Elementary level
Juan José Simón Pérez
learnenglishesol.weebly.com

2. HAD BETTER / WOULD RATHER
 Had better y would rather son expresiones
muy utilizadas en inglés.
 No son modales (aquí el único modal es
‘would’), aunque cumplen algunas reglas de
estos.
You had better tell him the truth.
I would rather watch another movie.

3. HAD BETTER / WOULD RATHER
 HAD BETTER = es aconsejable (sería mejor
que...)
 A pesar de que HAD es pasado, had better solo
se utiliza para presente y futuro.
He had better pay today
I had better talk to the boss tomorrow
 En inglés hablado se contrae ‘HAD’
I’d better go now
She’d better take a taxi

4. HAD BETTER / WOULD RATHER
 ESTRUCTURA:
 (+) Subject + had better (‘d better) + infinitive…
It’s getting cold, you’d better take a coat.
 (-) Subject + had better not (‘d better not) +
infinitive
You had better not go out tonight.
 (?) (Wh..) + Had + subject + better + infinitive…?
Where had I better go on holiday?

5. HAD BETTER / WOULD RATHER
 WOULD RATHER significa prefiero / preferiría
(prefer / would prefer) dependiendo del caso:
 Preferencias específicas:
Would rather = would prefer to + infinitive
I’d prefer to take a taxi = I’d rather take a taxi
 Preferencias generales:
Would rather = prefer + infinitive –ing
I prefer swimming than running = I’d rather swim
than run

6. HAD BETTER / WOULD RATHER
 ESTRUCTURA:
 (+) Subject + would rather + infinitive…
I’d rather stay at home.
 (-) Subject + would rather not + infinitive…
I’d rather not play videogames so late
(?) Would + subject + rather + infinitive…?
Would you rather rent a house than a flat?

7. HAD BETTER / WOULD RATHER
 Al hablar se suele contraer ‘WOULD’:
I’d rather… / You’d… / He’d… / She’d… / It’d… /
We’d…/ You’d… They’d…
 Si la acción afecta a terceros, se pone el verbo
en pasado, aunque suela referirse al presente o
al futuro.
I’d rather they went early.
I’d rather we had some coffee before to go.

8. HAD BETTER / WOULD RATHER
 Para comparar entre dos o mas opciones
utilizamos
a) ‘…WOULD RATHER…THAN’
I’d rather have tea than coffee
b) ‘WOULD PREFER…RATHER THAN…’
I’d prefer to go out rather than watch TV

9. HAD BETTER / WOULD RATHER
 Exercise . Fill in the gaps with ‘had better’ or
‘would rather’.
1) I ____ ____ take a bus than go walking.
2) He ___ ____ save some money for its
retirement.
3) You ___ ____ not drink more beer tonight.
4) ____ you ____ buy a car than a house?
5) I’m going to England, so I ___ ____ study
English hardly.
6) I ___ ___ you didn’t come late today.
7) Tim ___ ___ pay off all his debts soon.

10. HAD BETTER / WOULD RATHER
 Answers.
1) I WOULD RATHER take a bus than go walking.
2) He HAD BETTER save some money for its
retirement.
3) You HAD BETTER not drink more beer tonight.
4) WOULD you RATHER buy a car than a house?
5) I’m going to England, so I HAD BETTER study
English hardly.
6) I WOULD RATHER you didn’t come late today.
7) Tim HAD BETTER pay off all his debts soon.

11. CONDITIONALS I
 Condicionales son estructuras utilizadas para
expresar que una situación ocurrirá solo si
ocurre otra previamente.
 La condición pude ser real o imaginaria, y el
resultado puede ser definido o simplemente
posible.
 Las frases condicionales mas comunes se
forman con la partícula ‘IF’. También se
sustituye ‘IF’ por: WHEN (la mas común),
UNLESS, BEFORE, AFTER, AS SOON AS…

12. CONDITIONALS I
 En inglés existen cuatro tipos de condicionales,
dependiendo de la situación:
1. Zero conditional
2. First conditional
3. Second conditional
4. Third conditional
 Se pueden formar otros tipos mezclando los tipos
anteriores.
 En esta unidad estudiaremos los tres primeros
tipos.

13. CONDITIONALS I
 ZERO CONDITIONAL
 El ‘zero conditional’ se usa al hablar de hechos o
situaciones que siempre son verdad.
If you have children, you worry about them all
the time.
 ESTRUCTURA:
 If + subject + present simple… , subject + present
simple…
When people laugh, they reduce their stress.

14. CONDITIONALS I
 Exercise 1. Make sentences in Zero
conditional using the correct verb tenses.
1) If I _____ (to eat) too much, I always _____ (to
have) stomach ache.
2) When it _____ (to snow), the landscape ____
(to become) white.
3) Mike always ____ (to tell) me the same when
he ____ (to be) in trouble.
4) If I ____ (not / sleep) 7 hours at least, I _____
(to have) problems to wake up.

15. CONDITIONALS I
 Answers.
1) If I EAT too much, I always HAVE stomach
ache.
2) When it SNOWS, the landscape BECOMES
white.
3) Mike always TELLS me the same when he IS
in trouble.
4) If I DON’T SLEEP 7 hours at least, I HAVE
problems to wake up.

16. CONDITIONALS I
 FIRST CONDITIONAL.
 El ‘first conditional’ se usa al hablar de posibles
resultados futuros de hechos o situaciones.
If I start running again, I’ll be exhausted after a
week.
 ESTRUCTURA:
 If + subject + present simple… , subject + will +
infinitive…
If they don’t come within 20 minutes, I’ll go
home.

17. CONDITIONALS I
 Exercise 2. Make sentences in First
Conditional using the correct verb tenses.
1) If you _____ (to continue) drinking too much,
you _____ (to have) a terrible hangover.
2) If it _____ (not / to stop) raining, we ____ (to
get) wet.
3) I ____ (to buy) a new phone when I ____ (to
get) paid.
4) If he ____ (to spend) so much money, he
_____ (to have) economic problems soon.

18. CONDITIONALS I
 Answers.
1) If you CONTINUE drinking so much, you WILL
HAVE a terrible hangover.
2) If it DOESN’T STOP raining, we’LL GET wet.
3) I’LL BUY a new phone when I GET paid.
4) If he SPENDS so much money, he’LL HAVE
economic problems soon.

19. CONDITIONALS I
 SECOND CONDITIONAL.
 El ‘second conditional’ se usa al hablar de
situaciones imaginarias e improbables, tanto en
presente como en futuro.
If I had a car, I’d visit a new town every week.
 ESTRUCTURA:
 If + subject + past simple… , subject + would +
infinitive…
If you didn’t call me, I wouldn’t see you.

20. CONDITIONALS I
 A pesar de usar el pasado simple, el ‘second
conditional’ nunca se refiere al pasado. El
pasado da la idea de ‘imaginario’.
If I won the lottery tomorrow,I’d buy a palace!
 A menudo se utiliza WERE para todas las
‘personas’ en el ‘second conditional’
If he weren’t unemployed, he would go out more
often.

21. CONDITIONALS I
 En el condicional segundo se puede sustituir
WOULD por:
a) MIGHT: hace mas dudoso el resultado. Se
traduce por ‘quizá …ía’.
If we worked hard, we might earn more money
b) COULD: se sustituye cuando hablamos de
habilidades.
If I trained more, I could win the competition

22. CONDITIONALS I
 Exercise 3. Make sentences in Second
conditional using the correct verb tenses.
1) If we ____ (be) rich, we _____ (not / work) so
hard.
2) If they ____ (not / come), I ____ (not / be) so
happy.
3) I ____ (travel) to England if there _____(be) a
job for me.
4) If I ____ (study) more English, I ____ (can) get
better marks in the exams.
5) You ____ (be) more efficient if you ____
(sleep) enough hours.

23. CONDITIONALS I
 Answers.
1) If we WERE rich, we WOULDN’T WORK so
hard.
2) If they DIDN’T COME, I WOULDN’T BE so
happy.
3) I WOULD TRAVEL to England if there WERE a
job for me.
4) If I STUDIED English HARDER, I COULD get
better marks in the exams.
5) You WOULD BE more efficient if you SLEPT
enough hours.

24. CONDITIONALS I
 Exercise 4. Complete the following (first and
second) conditional sentences.
1) If you practice English, you _____ (improve)
your fluency.
2) I ____ (be) happy if I ____(win) the lottery.
3) What ____ (do) if you ____ (see) a being from
Mars?
4) If I save money now, I ____ (have) it for my
retirement.
5) Tom ____ (be) surprised if we ____ (can) visit
him.

25. CONDITIONALS I
 Exercise 4. Complete the following (first and
second) conditional sentences.
1) If you practice English, you WILL IMPROVE
your fluency.
2) I WOULD BE happy if I WON the lottery.
3) What WOULD YOU DO if you SAW a being
from Mars?
4) If I save money now, I WILL HAVE it for my
retirement.
5) Tom WOULD BEsurprised if we COULD visit
him.

26. Thank you for your attention!