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When do we use "need" as a modal verb and say "need something" or "need do something", and when do we say:

  • "need to do something"
  • "I needed"
  • "he needs" etc.?

Can we use "will need"?

Mari-Lou A
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Andrew Spesivtsev
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  • possible duplicate of Is there another way to say "needn't have done"? – Julie Carter Sep 04 '15 at 09:26
  • @JulieCarter No, not at all, really. This question is not about the present perfect. The answers on that page also don't explain when need can be used as a modal verb at all. As this is the crux of this question, there's no duplication at all. – Araucaria - Him Sep 04 '15 at 09:30
  • @Araucaria I thought that the second answer by@Kiamlaluno did answer that question? – Julie Carter Sep 04 '15 at 09:33
  • @JulieCarter It's a very good answer to a different question, but it doesn't explain this one at all. Consider my comment to Roger below, for example. – Araucaria - Him Sep 04 '15 at 09:37
  • @JulieCarter So for example it doesn't explain why "She need leave tomorrow" is ungrammatical, but "She needs to leave tomorrow" isn't. Also why is "I don't think we need be there till ten" ok but "She said we need be there by ten" wrong? – Araucaria - Him Sep 04 '15 at 11:12
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    @Araucaria I don't disagree with you. I am not a linguist/grammar specialist, so I wouldn't be able to offer a detailed answer to the question raised by the OP. However, on first reading the question, I felt it should be closed for not providing any background research. I opted to close as a duplicate, because Kiamlaluno's answer explained so clearly how to use need as a modal verb (I understood it!), that it may well have been sufficient for the OP:) – Julie Carter Sep 04 '15 at 11:41
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    possible duplicate of "need to do" vs "need do" – Mari-Lou A Sep 04 '15 at 19:19
  • @Mari-LouA Not exactly. That question does not ask when it's ok to use need as a modal and when not. Pete Shor's good answer incidentally tries to explain that, but nonetheless doesn't entirely. For example it doesn't explain why "EMF Services helps people know what EMFs they are exposed to, and to decide whether they need do anything about it." is grammatical. There's no negation there. It also doesn't explain why "I need only compute" is grammatical. So users there vaguely addressed this question which wasn't asked about directly on that page - but didn't actually answer it. – Araucaria - Him Sep 05 '15 at 00:50
  • @Araucaria: I don't find "whether they need do anything ..." grammatical. But maybe that's just my dialect. And "I need only compute" has (indirect) negation. – Peter Shor Sep 05 '15 at 00:57
  • @PeterShor It's just an example from this page. It's not the best example ever! "Only" is ok because it's a negative polarity item. But need can be modal in any "downward entailing context". That basically means (roughly) negated clauses, interrogative clauses (hence the acceptability of whether clauses), conditional antecedents and clauses under the scope of negative polarity items (such as only). Here's a better example from the whether pages ... – Araucaria - Him Sep 05 '15 at 01:08
  • @PeterShor ..."The question is whether they need be regarded as from another dimension." – Araucaria - Him Sep 05 '15 at 01:08
  • I suggest @Araucaria that you post an answer in "need to do" vs "need do". I believe that post does help the OP, but if he edited his question and explained "why" post doesn't help, or explain clearly his confusion, I will retract my vote to close. Here is a good clear answer, but on a different question. Why can't we post that or Peter's onto here? – Mari-Lou A Sep 05 '15 at 06:48
  • @PeterShor I think you were talking to Araucaria. :) – Mari-Lou A Sep 05 '15 at 10:47
  • @ Araucaria.: you're right: the modal need in whether clauses is used quite a bit (although the use is steadily declining), and so it should be considered grammatical even if it sounds wrong to me. See Ngram – Peter Shor Sep 05 '15 at 11:05

1 Answers1

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The verbs "dare" and "need" can be used as normal verb or as modal verb. Link

Added: Though you often find the formulation "need" can be a normal verb and a modal verb, this is too imprecise. "Need" is used as modal verb only in present tense and mainly in negative sentences.

English Grammar today (Cambridge) has more on "need" as modal verb Link

rogermue
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  • Hmmmm. I don't think that's true Roger. Consider "Ben need go now". This would just be regarded as ungrammatical. – Araucaria - Him Sep 04 '15 at 09:31
  • @Araucaria - you are right. My formulation about "need" (modal verb) is too imprecise, but I didn't want to go into details. But I 'll add some text to make things clearer. – rogermue Sep 04 '15 at 15:52
  • I don't understand how your edit provided any further explanation. According to your answer, "Ben need go to bed" (modal construction) is grammatical, when instead it should be "Ben needs to go to bed" (proper verb). Moreover the link is utterly unhelpful, are you saying the OP should buy a Cambridge exam preparation text book?! – Mari-Lou A Sep 04 '15 at 19:12
  • Second link is much better. Why not copy and paste a summary onto your answer? I don't understand why your answers are nearly always fragments. You hint at knowing something very well, but then you don't produce the goods. – Mari-Lou A Sep 05 '15 at 06:41