0

Can "to be" be ommitted if it's implied?

i.e. Are the following sentences acceptable grammar?

"These items need done by Friday"
"These items need completed by Friday"

Obviously this is a more-clear way to word it:

"These items need to be done by Friday"
"These items need to be completed by Friday"

But all my life I have thought the first method was also grammatically correct. Today that was questioned by a coworker.

Is this a regional thing?

Edit: Appears similar to "Needs cleaned" or "needs to be cleaned", which has an answer.

Laurel
  • 66,382
Evan
  • 9
  • I would prefer to omit need and keep the to be, as in These items to be completed by Friday, if omitting was at all necessary. – NVZ Apr 18 '22 at 20:59
  • In western PA and nearby places, yes. It works with need, want, and sometimes like. It apparently drives others bonkers. The dog needs emptied, the car wants gassed. – Phil Sweet Apr 18 '22 at 21:08
  • 2
    Standard English does not allow "these items need done". But some dialects may allow this. (For example Pennsylvania Dutch. See http://padutch.net/what-is-pd/ ) – GEdgar Apr 18 '22 at 21:30
  • In most US dialects that sort of wording suggests that the speaker is poorly educated. – Hot Licks Apr 18 '22 at 21:42
  • "These items need completion by Friday" would work, in most contexts. – Hot Licks Apr 18 '22 at 22:16
  • What can be said in informal British English is that something "needs doing" by a certain date. But the 'doing' would probably be interpreted as a verbal noun. The word 'done' cannot be interpreted as a verbal noun, even, as far as I know, in US dialect. – Tuffy Apr 18 '22 at 22:22
  • 3
    Ah, yes!! "To be" or not "to be". That is the question!! – Hot Licks Apr 18 '22 at 22:32
  • need verbing is fine according to Lexico e.g. "this shirt needs washing", "East Yorkshire pig farmers don't need reminding of that." No indication that it's informal or non-standard. – Stuart F Apr 18 '22 at 22:40
  • 1
    This is governed by the verb need; the usual name for the phenomena is "Needs Washed". – John Lawler Apr 18 '22 at 22:55
  • @HotLicks What fates impose, that men must needs abide. – Phil Sweet Apr 19 '22 at 04:50

0 Answers0