TESOL/Using need
The word "need" has a literal, informational meaning, and besides that it also accomplishes several other communicative tasks.
Mechanics[edit | edit source]
Usually "need" is used as a normal verb to express necessity.
Modal verb[edit | edit source]
Need can be a modal verb. It is more common in British English.
- You needn't come to that meeting.
- Need I say why?
- That is the only meeting you need attend.
You need attend that meeting.
Passive infinitive[edit | edit source]
"Need" plus a verb with -ing has the same meaning as a passive infinitive.
| Need + verb -ing | Passive infinitive |
|---|---|
| The dishes need washing. | The dishes need to be washed. |
| My sheets need changing. | My sheets need to be changed. |
| The bushes need trimming. | The bushes need to be trimmed. |
Usage[edit | edit source]
Regret[edit | edit source]
Saying someone need not have done something suggests that there was no reason to do it, that it was a bad idea. It differs in that respect from "did not need to have done."
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| You needn't have given me that! | (I don't need your gift or I don't want it.) |
| You didn't need to give me that! | (I am flattered to receive your gift.) |
Including the word "never" adds emphasis: someone need never have done something.
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| You needn't have told me. | (I didn't want to hear that.) |
| You need never have told me. | (Hearing that was very upsetting.) |
Commands[edit | edit source]
Using "need" in the present tense is often used to talk about obligation in the future. In particular, it can be used to give commands indirectly.
- You'll need to finish your homework.
- You'll need to come to my office.
Permission[edit | edit source]
Using "need not (do something)" grants permission not to do something at that moment. In this case, "need" is a modal verb. In a case where the listener might assume that they are obliged to do something, "need not" explicitly removes that obligation. This differs from using "need" as a regular verb, as in "You do not need to do something."
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| You needn't pay for coffee. | Put away your wallet. |
| You do not need to pay for coffee. | It's free. |
Possibility[edit | edit source]
"Need not" may also be used to equal "might not be." That is, it means that the possibility is less than 100%.
- I'm sure she went to the wrong place. - She need not have: maybe she is just running late.
- That face must mean that he hates me. - He needn't feel that way about you. Maybe he just remembered something unpleasant.