have or have not

rogergm62 · #1 (**permalink**) 19-Jun-2006, 14:31

Hello everyone!!!!

Could somebody help me????

my question is the next....What sentence is right???

I DON'T NEED TO HAVE WORRIED

OR

I NEED NOT TO HAVE WORRIED

OR

I NEED NOT HAVE WORRIED

thanks in advance....

Roger...A Mexican English student in USA.

Casiopea · #2 (**permalink**) 19-Jun-2006, 14:50

Welcome Roger.

1. I don't need to have worried.

2. I need not to have worried.

Try,

I need not worry.
I needn't worry.
I don't have to worry.
I shouldn't worry.

rogergm62 · #3 (**permalink**) 19-Jun-2006, 15:48

Thanks, but I still have troubles with that sentence, because I'm reading an article, the article is the next...
...Since I had never been there before and was unsure of protocol, I wore black dress shoes along with my black pants. I needn't have worried, as several people (men included) were in flip-flops or sandals....
So my question again is... the phrase <<I needn't have worried>> is ok?
and could somebody give me a fast explanation why can't I say...
<< I don't need to have worried>>>
or << I need not to have worried>>
Many thanks...
Roger... A confused guy in America

Casiopea · #4 (**permalink**) 19-Jun-2006, 16:04

"Since I had never been there before and was unsure of protocol, I wore black dress shoes along with my black pants. I needn't have worried, as several people (men included) were in flip-flops or sandals ... ."

It's OK.

1. I don't need to have worried.

2. I need not to have worried.

The word to is an infinitive marker. It goes with bare or non-finite verbs - verbs that don't inflect for tense or number. For example, the verb to go is a non-finite verb; 'go' doesn't have tense (e.g., went) or number (e.g., goes). Sentences 1. and 2. above are ungrammatical because the verb have worried isn't compatible with to. But if we remove its tense and number, we get a bare or non-finite verb:

I don't need to worry.

I do not need to worry.

I need not worry.

I needn't worry.

Note that, needn't is a contracted form of need not, and don't is a contraction of do not.

Correction
I still have trouble, not *troubles

All the best.