She wanted/needed to hear his voice.

[shootingstar]

What is the distinction in meaning between the sentence

"Now she knew it was a possibility, she wanted to hear his voice"

and the sentence

"Now she knew it was a possibility, she needed to hear his voice"?
(The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, episode The Successful Life)

 

[5jj]

Have you tried looking up the two verbs at www.onelook.com?

 

[emsr2d2]

Don't those two verbs have different meanings in German?

 

[SoothingDave]

I want a million dollars. I need food, clothing, and shelter.

 

[Annabel Lee]

In my experience, "need" is sometimes used to express a strong want.

A: I didn't think you were going to call me this evening. Aren't you busy?​

B: Yes, I am, but I needed to hear your voice.​

Objectively speaking, Speaker B doesn't really need to hear Speaker A's voice, but feels a strong desire to hear it. It's as if it were a need, even though, in reality, it's only just a want.

"Now she knew it was a possibility, she needed to hear his voice"?
(The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, episode The Successful Life)

Nice quote. I like the "that"-less "Now that"-clause with which it begins. I was surprised by that construction a number of years ago. No AmE speaker would use a "now that"-clause without "that," but it seems acceptable in BrE to do so. I first encountered the "that"-less "now that"-clause in William Golding's Lord of the Flies, and knew it had to be correct. I've also found it in John Milton and Shakespeare, and in other famous poets' writings from over a hundred years ago. When I read a sentence like the one you've quoted, my first thought is "It's a run-on." "Now she knew it was a possibility" seems to be an independent clause, but it's not!

 

[jutfrank]

That-less now that-clauses are very common over here in all parts of Britain. I'm quite surprised to learn that they aren't used across the water in the States.

 

[5jj]

Curme noted their existence in his Syntax (1931.273).