Need and needn’t grammar rules

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Need is a regular verb that can be used as a lexical verb or as a modal. It expresses the necessity for something.

Need as a MAIN verb

You can use need as the main verb in a sentence with the following construction: need to + verb (to express a necessity, the need to do something) or need + noun (gerund) (to say that you need something) :

I need to have a shower.
She needs to talk to him.

For the negative and interrogative form, we use do/does and don’t/doesn’t :

Do I need to show my passport?
Does she need my car?
You don’t need to go there.
He doesn’t need my help.

⚠️ Don’t forget the final -s after he needs, she needs, it needs.

For the simple past, we add -ed to need: we get “needed“. For the interrogative and negative form, we use did and didn’t:

He needed some eggs to make a cake.
He didn’t need to take his umbrellas.
Did he need my computer?

You can use the formula need + verb-ing, similar to need to be + past participle.

The windows need (or don’t need) cleaning. (= the windows need to be cleaned).

Need as a modal auxiliary

Need can also be used as a modal aid to the present, but only to the negative form and to the first person of the interrogative form (I or we).

⚠️ Be careful, however, these phrases are not often used :

In questions to ask about need, necessity :

Need I take an umbrella ?
Need we finish the work today?

The negative form need not (or needn’t) + verbal basis (without to) expresses the absence of obligation or necessity:

We need not hurry.
It’s going to rain, you need’t take an umbrella.

⚠️ As these formulas are rarely used, we use have to or need to instead :

Do I have to take an umbrella? = Do I need to take an umbrella?
Do we have to finish the work today? = Do we need to finish the work today?
You don’t have to take an umbrella = You don’t need to take an umbrella
We don’t have to hurry = We don’t need to hurry

To talk about actions that have been done but were not necessary: we use need not (or needn’t) + present perfect simple :

They needn’t have waited for us.

NEED USED AS A NAME

Need can also be a name, it means a necessity :

Water is a need.

DON’T FORGET!

⚠️ Do not confuse needn’t, which expresses the absence of obligation, with mustn’t, which expresses prohibition :

You need’nt come (the negation concerns need)
You mustn’t come (the negation concerns come)

⚠️ The structure need + verbal basis + ing is often used to say that something needs to be repaired or improved :

Your bike needs repairing.
His english is bad. He needs practicing.

Tags: Grammar

Need needn’t grammar rules