[Grammar] reduce people's need or needs for

[davidtrinh]

I am going to write down two sentences below.

(A) Online shopping reduces people's need(s) for buying things in-store.

(B) Online shopping reduces the need for people to buy things in-store.

May I ask two questions about my sentences?

1. In (A), is it wrong to pluralize the word, need?

2. Does (B) sound more natural than (A)?

Please give me your opinions. Thanks a lot.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Both should be singular and both are natural.

It does seem logical to pluralize it in your first example, but we don't. I suppose it's because buying things in-store is a single common need.

 

[probus]

I am going to write down two sentences below.

(A) Online shopping reduces people's need(s) for buying things in-store.

(B) Online shopping reduces the need for people to buy things in-store.

May I ask two questions about my sentences?

1. In (A), is it wrong to pluralize the word, need?

2. Does (B) sound more natural than (A)?

Please give me your opinions. Thanks a lot.

Need(s) for buying sounds unnatural to me. I would always say "need to buy" in this context.