need??? singular?

[thomas615]

Hello

I am wondering why "this need" and not "this needs"

I would be grateful if you could provide me with a report and this need not be lengthy.

 

[lauralie2]

Hello

I am wondering why "this need" and not "this needs"

I would be grateful if you could provide me with a report and this need not be lengthy.

• This (door) needs a handle. <singular verb>
• This need you have to eat everything must stop. <singular noun>
• These needs you have... <plural noun>

 

[TheParser]

Hello

I am wondering why "this need" and not "this needs"

I would be grateful if you could provide me with a report and this need not be lengthy.

:!::!::!: NOT A TEACHER :!::!::!:


Thomas,


I wish to credit Longman English Grammar (by the late and

beloved L. G. Alexander) for the information that I would like to share.

(1) You know that so-called modal verbs are verbs like

can, will, must, etc. And you know that these modal verbs

never take an "s."

(2) Well, sometimes the verb "to need" is used like a

modal by some speakers in the United States (and many speakers

in the United Kingdom, according to Mr. Michael Swan's book Practical

English Usage). As a modal, it's usually used in the negative.

(3) Look at Mr. Alexander's examples:

(a) I do not need to go.

(b) I need not go.

(c) You needn't/don't have to/haven't got to WORK.

(4) Remember sometimes you may not use the modal "need." You

must use the "regular" verb. Mr. Swan says you must say:

"You don't need to pay for emergency calls in most countries."

[P.S. Here in the United States, one calls 911. It's free.] If

a sentence describes habitual [done regularly] or general

necessity, he says to use the regular verb.

THEREFORE:

This [report] need not be lengthy.(Remember: modals don't take an "s.")

or

This [report] does not need to be lengthy. (the regular verb)


Thank you & have a nice day.

 

[corum]

'Need' is a marginal modal. It means in nonassertive contexts (negatives, interrogatives) it behaves like a modal auxiliary: no inflection, no '-s'. Otherwise 'need' is conjugated like a lexical verb.

 

[corum]

• This (door) needs a handle. <singular verb>
• This need you have to eat everything must stop. <singular noun>
• These needs you have... <plural noun>

'Need' is a verb there.

 

[lauralie2]

'Need' is a verb there.

Where...

 

[corum]

Where...

;-) For example, here:

I would be grateful if you could provide me with a report and this need not be lengthy.

Or are there other sentences too that the OP wants to discuss? ;-)

 

[lauralie2]

;-) For example, here:

No... Post #6 is in reference to Post #5. Where in Post #5 is "need" supposed to be a verb...

 

[corum]

• This (door) needs a handle. <singular verb>
• This need you have to eat everything must stop. <singular noun>
• These needs you have... <plural noun>

In what way does this explain the no '-s' in the OP's sentence? In no way, IMHO. That is what I meant.

 

[lauralie2]

In no way, IMHO. That is what I meant.

I still don't understand what you are trying to tell me.

 

[corum]

It means were are friends. ;-)

 

[lauralie2]

It means were are friends. ;-)

:-D;-):up:

 

[5jj]

I think Corum was trying to say that, in the first example you gave in post #2, need was being used as a verb.

It was, of course, being used as a noun in the second and third examples.