Re: USAGE: I'd rather (was: Re: Journalists)

I wasn't using any guide but my own native intuition... however:


On 6/27/07, caeruleancentaur <caeruleancentaur@...> wrote:
> It is impossible to discern which is meant when the contraction "I'd"
> is used.
Perhaps true in general, but at least IML *"I had rather" is not a
valid phrase, while "I would rather" is.

Which is not to say that my assertion that "would" is being used to
mean "want" is not still shaky.  In any case, it doesn't explain "I
had better".   But I'm also leery of any explanation that casts the
one verb in the sentence in the role of auxiliary, with no candidate
main verb that can be readily inserted without changing the meaning.




>
> Charlie
>

--
Mark J. Reed <markjreed@...>

Replies