needs done (Barak Obama)

[ostap77]

"They're not going to be make-work jobs, but jobs doing the work that America desperately needs done, jobs rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges, repairing our dangerously deficient dams and levees so that we don't face another Katrina."

I've extracted a sentence from Obama's speech. I might have been discussing this in one of the threads but once again a question regarding the use of "need+done" has come up.

Wasn't it supposed to be "needs to be done"? So could I say "There are certain things I need done" or "My car needs fixed"?

 

[emsr2d2]

"They're not going to be make-work jobs, but jobs doing the work that America desperately needs done, jobs rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges, repairing our dangerously deficient dams and levees so that we don't face another Katrina."

I've extracted a sentence from Obama's speech. I might have been discussing this in one of the threads but once again a question regarding the use of "need+done" has come up.

Wasn't it supposed to be "needs to be done"? So could I say "There are certain things I need done" or "My car needs fixed"?

"Need done" is fine and regularly used.
I need this done now.
He needed it done straight away.
He has a room he needs painted.

We would say "My car needs fixing" or "My car needs to be fixed".
However, we can say "She has a car she needs fixed".

 

[ostap77]

"Need done" is fine and regularly used.
I need this done now.
He needed it done straight away.
He has a room he needs painted.

We would say "My car needs fixing" or "My car needs to be fixed".
However, we can say "She has a car she needs fixed".

1)Could I say "There are some household chores I need done before my wife comes back from work"?
2)If I were the boss, could I say to my employee "I need this report done by noon"?

 

[emsr2d2]

Could I say "There are some household chores I need done before my wife comes back from work"?

Yes, but only if you are going to ask someone else to do them. If you are going to do the chores then you would say:

There are some household chores I need to do before...

When you say "There's something I need done..." it suggests that you are going to arrange for someone else to do it.

If it's a simple statement about the chores without suggesting who is going to them, then:

There are some household chores that need doing before...

 

[ostap77]

Yes, but only if you are going to ask someone else to do them. If you are going to do the chores then you would say:

There are some household chores I need to do before...

When you say "There's something I need done..." it suggests that you are going to arrange for someone else to do it.

If it's a simple statement about the chores without suggesting who is going to them, then:

There are some household chores that need doing before...

What about 2)?

 

[emsr2d2]

1)Could I say "There are some household chores I need done before my wife comes back from work"?
2) If I were the boss, could I say to my employee "I need this report done by noon"?

Sentence 2 is fine.

 

[ostap77]

Sentence 2 is fine.

1)What if I knew I was going to have guests coming over for dinner and I was a lousy cook,could I say to my friend on the phone" Look there's cooking I need done for dinner. Could come help me out?"
2) A. I hear you bought a new house.
B. Yeah. I'm just going to need extra money since there are major repairs I need done to my new house. OK?

 

[emsr2d2]

1)What if I knew I was going to have guests coming over for dinner and I was a lousy cook. Could I say to my friend on the phone "Look there's cooking I need done for dinner. Could come and help me out?"

2) A. I hear you bought a new house.
B. Yeah. I'm just going to need extra money since there are major repairs I need done to my new house. OK?

They're both fine. I think you've pretty much understood the usage now.

 

[5jj]

They're both fine. I think you've pretty much understood the usage now.

So I suggest you quit while you are ahead, ostap. :-D

 

[emsr2d2]

So I suggest you quite while you are ahead, ostap. :-D

Hear hear, though I'd suggest that you quit.

 

[Afit]

but jobs doing the work that America desperately needs done,

America needs the work (to be) done. = SVOC

done = object complement

 

[ostap77]

America needs the work (to be) done. = SVOC

done = object complement

1) It seems like "This work needs done by noon" would be correct and acceptable even in formal usage in some areas. I've extracted some info from the Boston Globe.

""The words to be are eliminated from phrases on a regular basis," he reports in an e-mail. "The sink needs fixed. The lawn needs cut. Just last week, we got a notice from our son's school, saying that the kids' homework 'needs reviewed' by parents."

2) Could I use in the present progressive "There's work I'm needing done."?

 

[bhaisahab]

1) It seems like "This work needs done by noon" would be correct and acceptable even in formal usage in some areas. I've extracted some info from the Boston Globe.

""The words to be are eliminated from phrases on a regular basis," he reports in an e-mail. "The sink needs fixed. The lawn needs cut. Just last week, we got a notice from our son's school, saying that the kids' homework 'needs reviewed' by parents."

2) Could I use in the present progressive "There's work I'm needing done."?

All of the above are incorrect in standard BrE.

 

[Afit]

1.
This work need be done. :tick:
This work needs to be done. :tick:
This work needs done. :cross:
America needs this work (to be) done :tick:

2. "need" is a stative verb: normally no -ing form.

There's work I need done.:tick: