Today we will analyze the modal verb need and the subtleties of its use in English language. No matter how simple the word need may seem, it is very interesting, since it has several options for use, and can act as both a modal verb and a semantic one. But, first things first... Let's get started
Meaning of the verb need
Need is translated from English as “needed”, “to need something”, “to have a need”. And the translation of semantic and modal verbs will be the same. But there are some subtleties associated with their use. To begin with, we will consider it as a modal one, then we will move on to the semantic one.
Features of Need as a modal verb
- This verb does not change depending on tenses and has a single form - need. That is, we cannot say “needed” or “needs” when we want to use a modal verb.
- After it comes the main verb in the infinitive form without the particle to
- In questions, like most modal verbs, it comes first.
- In negations, the particles not – need not do (abbreviated: needn’t) are added to it.
I need fill in this form. – I need to fill out this form
Need I fill in this form? – Do I need to fill out this form?
I needn't fill in this form. – I don't need to fill out this form.
Features of need as a semantic verb
- Like any other semantic verb, need has several forms and can be used in different tenses (exception below).
- After it comes a verb in the infinitive form with the particle to.
- Typically not used in Continuous tenses. Only extremely rarely, only in informal English, when we really want to emphasize how long, or how much we need/need/will need something, we can use need in the Continuous. We will put an example from the film under this list.
- It is a regular verb, so in past tense declarative sentences we simply add the ending –ed (needed) to it.
- Questions and negatives are constructed depending on tense: that is, we add auxiliary verbs, to be in in the required form and so on.
Example of a declarative sentence:
She needs to buy a new laptop. — She needs to buy a new laptop.
Example of an interrogative sentence:
Will she need to buy a new laptop? — Will she need to buy a new laptop?
Example of a negative sentence:
She doesn't need to buy a new laptop? — She doesn’t need to buy a new laptop.
And here is the promised example from the film:
Uses of need as a modal verb:
1. In interrogative and affirmative sentences, this modal verb is used infrequently, mainly in formal speech. In statements it is often accompanied by words with negative prefixes or particles. Moreover, it will often be translated as “should not”, “must not”. In essence, it will be the same form of denial.
For example:
No one needs to know what happened. “No one should know what happened.”
Also in such declarative sentences it can sometimes be translated as the future tense. That is, it will express a high degree of our confidence.
Let's take for example the same sentence as above:
No one needs ever know what happened. - Nobody will know what happened.
2. When we give permission not to do something, we can use both a modal and a semantic verb. In this case, there will be no difference.
For example, we can say:
You don't need to read this book. – You don’t need to read this book (you don’t have to read it)
You needn't read this book.
3. In negative sentences it is used when we will perform some action, although this is not necessary.
Attention! When we want to talk about something known fact, then we will use only the semantic verb need, which, like any other verb, has several forms.
For example:
Nowadays people don’t need to come from a wealthy family to succeed. – Today, people do not need to be from a rich family to achieve success.
Other uses of the semantic verb need
1. When we want to say that we need something or we need to perform some action:
I need this book for my project. – I need this book for my project.
I need to read this book for my project. – I need to read this book for my project.
2. There are two more interesting constructions with need: need doing and need to be done. They are used when some action must be performed, but we are not talking about who exactly should do it.
For example:
The form needs completing in full. — The form must be filled out completely.
Or you could say:
The form needs to be completed in full.
Needn’t have done vs din’t need to do
In the past tense you can find two forms: needn’t have done and didin’t need to do.
The first is used when some action was not necessary and we do not know whether it was performed.
The second is when the action was not necessary, but we know that it was performed.
Let's consider two proposals:
She didn't need to catch the bus.
Here we indicate that she did not necessarily have to get on the bus, and we do not know whether she got on it or not.
She needn't have caught the bus.
Here we know that she had no need to get on the bus, but we know that she did.
Now you know everything you need about the modal verb need, as well as its meaning. Don't forget to save the article so you can repeat the material if necessary.
This article will talk about a very popular English verb need. It is translated into Russian with the words “to need something”, “to have a need”. In a sentence, this verb can be either semantic or modal. What does this depend on? Read our article to find out. We will tell you about all the features of using the verb need and we will introduce you to the design needn't have done.
When to use the modal verb need in English
Semantic need and modal need- these are two different verbs. Let's see what the features of the modal verb are need:
- this verb does not change tenses, it has one form - need;
- in a sentence it is followed by an infinitive without a particle to – need do something;
- negative sentences are formed using a particle not – need not (needn't) do something;
- in questions need takes first place instead of the auxiliary verb - need somebody do something?
What is a modal verb for? need? This verb is used mainly in negative sentences. It communicates that an action can be performed, but it is not necessary. In translation into Russian we will use the words “not necessary”, “optional”.
You needn't open the window, but you can do it if you want. – No need to open window, but you can do it if you want.
The number of tickets is limited, but they needn't worry. I have already bought a couple. – The number of tickets is limited, but they no need to worry. I've already bought a pair.
In affirmative sentences, the modal verb need occurs mainly in formal contexts. Most often it is accompanied by some kind of negative word ( no one / nobody- nobody, nothing- nothing, never- never). Such phrases are translated into Russian with the words “shouldn’t”, “no need”.
Nobody needs to worry about their safety. – Nobody should worry for your safety.
If you want to express permission not to do something, you can use both a semantic and a modal verb need. The meaning of the phrase will not change.
You needn't water the flower. I have already done it. = You don't need to water the flower. I have already done it. - You no need (you can't) water the flower. I've already done this.
If we're talking about about a generally known fact, only the semantic verb should be used need:
You don't need to be very rich to get a good education. – No need (not necessary) be very rich in order to get a good education.
You don't need to be an employee to enter the building. – No need be an employee to enter the building.
When is the semantic verb need used in English?
Semantic verb need tells us that we need some item or need to perform some action. At the semantic need There are such combinations in English:
- To need something- need something.
It's raining outside. I need an umbrella. - It is raining outside. To me need an umbrella.
A cat is hungry. It needs some food. - The cat is hungry. To him need food.
- To need to do something- to have a need to do something.
He needs to win this game to stay in the team. - To him necessary(He must) win this game to stay on the team.
- To need to do something = to need to be done– something needs/should be done.
These forms are used when we want to say that some action should be done, but we do not specify who should perform it.
This room needs cleaning / needs to be cleaned, it's too dirty. - This room need to tidy up, she's too dirty.
The cat's claws need cutting / need to be cut, they are too long. – Cat's claws needs a haircut, they are too long.
Semantic verb need can be used in negative sentences to say that we don't need something or don't need to do something. Negation is constructed using an auxiliary verb don't/doesn't.
I don't need your money. I can make my own. - To me Not needed your money. I can earn money myself.
He doesn't need to go to the bank tomorrow. He has already been there today. - To him no need go to the bank tomorrow. He was already there today.
Questions with semantic verb need also formed using auxiliary verbs:
Do I need to come to you tomorrow? - To me need to come see you tomorrow?
Does he need to leave? He has just come. - To him need to leave? He just arrived.
As a semantic verb need can be used in past and future tenses:
I needed to see you. - To me had to see you.
I needed your help yesterday. - Yesterday I needed your help.
I will always need you. - You always tell me you will be needed.
He will need to consult a doctor. - To him will need consult your doctor.
Didn't need to vs. needn't have done
To indicate an action in the past, we use forms didn't need to(semantic need) And needn't have done(modal need). Both of them will be translated into Russian with the words “it was not necessary”, “there was no need”. However, there is a difference in meaning between them:
- didn't need to reports that the action was not necessary and we did not perform it;
- needn't have done– there was no need, but we still performed the action.
I didn't need to buy (I didn’t need it, I didn’t buy it)
I needn't have bought a new computer. The old one worked normally. – There was no need to buy new computer. The old one worked fine. (I shouldn't have, but I bought it anyway)
As you can see, the meanings of the word need as semantic and modal verbs are not very different from each other. But in order to use the verb need That's right, you need to know some nuances. We hope we managed to clarify them and you will actively use need in his speech.
And in order to practice using the verb need in practice, we suggest you take our test.
Test
Modal verb need in English
Modal verb need used as an insufficient and as a regular verb.
Need as a regular verb
As a regular verb need means “to be required”, “to need”. Regular verb need used as a regular verb (takes the ending –s in third party form singular, accepts the ending –ed in the past tense form, interrogative and negative sentences are formed using an auxiliary verb, etc.). After a regular verb need followed by an infinitive with a particle to.
For example:
One needs to be punctual.
Need to be punctual.
He needed some more time to decide the question.
To him need to there was still time to resolve the issue.
Do you need to go now?
You now need to leave?
I don't need to talk to him.
To me no need talk to him.
Need as an insufficient verb
As an insufficient verb need has only the present tense form and is used only in interrogative and negative sentences with the meaning of the need to perform an action or the lack thereof.
For example:
You need not work today.
You no need to work Today.
Need I go now?
To me Need to go Now?
Need we reserve seats?
Us need to book places?
After an insufficient verb need followed by an infinitive without a particle to, and it doesn't accept endings –s in the third person singular form.
For example:
He need not wait. (AND NOT He needs not wait.)
To him no need wait.
You need not come.
You no need come.
Interrogative and negative sentences with insufficient verb need are formed without the help of auxiliary verbs.
For example:
Need I come again? (AND NOT Do I need come again?)
Do I need to come again?
Need is rarely used as an insufficient verb in American English; the verb is preferred instead have to .
Using the modal verb need
Need as an insufficient verb can be used to ask permission, or to give permission. It is not used to describe ordinary, habitual, regular actions.
Compare:
You need not work today.
You no need Today work. (Need )
You don't need to work on Sundays.
You no need to work on Sundays. ( Need )
You need not pay for this call.
You no need to pay for this call. ( Need used as an insufficient verb, it describes a special case.)
In most countries, you don't need to pay for emergency calls.
In most countries no need to pay for emergency calls. ( Need used as a regular verb, it describes a general case.)
Need not used in negative questions:
Need I wait any longer?
How long should I wait?
Need he come again?
Does he need to come again?
If the answer to a question with a verb need negative, you need to say “No, he need not”, or “No, you need not”. But if the answer is yes, the verb is used must: "Yes, he must", or "Yes, you must".
Need not + perfect infinitive
Structure need not + perfect infinitive indicates that an unnecessary action was taken.
For example:
They need not have come all this way.
Them there was no need to come here. ( They came here, but there was no need for it.)
We need not have waited for his approval.
Us there was no need to wait his approval. ( We waited for his approval, but it was not necessary.)
You need not have bought a new car.
Didn't have to buy new car.
You need not have paid for that call.
Didn't have to pay for this call.
note that need not have doesn't mean the same thing as did not need to. Usage did not need to it only shows that there was no need to perform the action, and it does not matter whether it was actually performed or not.
Compare:
I need not have bought the book.
I didn't need to buy the book.
To me didn't need to buy book.
Both English sentences above are translated into Russian in the same way, however, the first sentence emphasizes that the book was purchased, although this was not necessary, while the second sentence only emphasizes the absence of the need to purchase the book, and it is not known whether it was actually purchased in fact.
Need + present participle
In British English after need can be used "-ing" form verb. Using this structure has the same meaning as using a verb in the passive voice.
For example:
Your hair needs washing. (= Your hair needs to be washed.)
Your hair need to wash.
The carpet needs cleaning. (= The carpet needs to be cleaned.)
Carpet needs cleaning.
The roof needs repairing.
roof needs to be fixed.
In English, as you know, there are four types of verbs: auxiliary, semantic, verbs connecting a subject with an object, and modal. The latter are used extremely often in a huge number of languages. Their role is incredibly important in English, German and other languages. Therefore, mastering this topic is very important. As for the English language, the basic rule is that modal verbs cannot be used independently. They are always used in conjunction with a regular semantic verb.
It is necessary to remember that modal verbs differ from others in that they do not have participles, gerunds, infinitives and impersonal forms.
What modal verbs exist in English?
There are five main modal verbs: need, can, must, may, ought. They can mean the probability, possibility, ability, necessity of performing a certain action, which is revealed in the semantic verb.
It is important to remember that the particle to is never placed after a modal verb. But there is an exception, for example, the use of the particle to is necessary with the modal verb ought. Some modal verbs can have both present and past tenses, while others can only have present tenses. This is often called Defective verbs, which translates as “insufficient verbs.” They are called this because they lack other forms that other verbs in English have.
There are five main modal verbs in the English language, the features of which will be discussed in this article.
Peculiarities
Modal verbs (need, can, must, may, ought) cannot denote specific actions or processes. Their task is to express the speaker’s attitude to what is happening, to evaluate a certain action or process.
But which verbs have a past form and which do not? So, modal verbs that have two forms (past tense and present) include can, may. In the past tense, these verbs will look like this: can - could, may - might. The modal verbs need, must, ought do not have a past tense form.
But how to construct negative and interrogative sentences that contain modal verbs? The rule for constructing negative and interrogative sentences is as follows: in interrogatives the modal verb is placed in first place, and in negative ones you just need to put the particle not after it, which carries the negation.
It is worth noting that need can be either a semantic verb or a modal verb. However, there is a noticeable difference in usage. First you need to find out the meaning of need, the translation of which will sound like “need”. If this verb is used as a semantic verb, then it can be safely put in the past tense; in the case of the modal verb need, this will be considered a gross mistake.
We need your help / We need your help(need is a semantic verb).
Do I need to explain it again? Do I need to explain this again?(need is a modal galgol).
As an insufficient verb, need is usually used in negative sentences. IN negative form The verb need has the following translation: “not necessary” or “optional”.
As for affirmative sentences, this verb is found, as a rule, in a formal context, accompanied by some negative word.
Modal verb need: exercise
Exercises will help you consolidate your skills and distinguish the use of the verb need from other modal verbs.
Can be used for training test tasks or exercises in which you need to translate and determine which verb need is:
- We have got plenty of time. We _____ hurry.
A) needn't
B) didn't use to
C) mustn't
D) didn't need to
- Need we go there? (Do we need to go there?) I’ll need this magazine (I will need this magazine). You need to work harder (You need to work more).
and its features
As mentioned above, this verb has a past tense form. And it's important to note that it is used extremely often in English. You could even say that it is the most used modal verb out of all the others.
But what is its peculiarity? What does it mean? Can can be used in several situations. Firstly, if you want to express the possibility or ability of a certain action. Secondly, using this verb, you can express doubt or surprise.
It is important to note that in the future tense can, which is translated as “to be able,” is replaced by the construction to be able to, which has a similar translation.
Verbs may and might
These verbs cause the greatest difficulties for foreigners when learning English, because different situations they can replace each other or express the past or present tense. It is important to note that the verb may does not have a shortened negative form, but might can easily be shortened to mightn`t. But this form of reduction is extremely rare.
Might is the past form of may, but it is important to note that this verb can also be used as a standalone modal. They express uncertainty, the likelihood of some action. But the difference is that may conveys more certainty than might.
- It may rain today / Perhaps it will rain today.
- He might come / He might come.
Modal verb must
This modal verb is most often used to express confidence, necessity, obligation of something. The use of must in a negative form expresses a prohibition of something, and this verb has a rather strict connotation. In the English language spoken by modern people, equivalents of this modal verb are most often used to make sentences sound less categorical.
- I must make sure cargoes reach their destination / I must ensure that cargo reaches its destination.
- We must build this house by autumn / We must build this house before autumn.
So, the verb must is used to express:
- categorical prohibition;
- confidence, certainty;
- strong recommendation;
- necessity.
It is important to understand the importance of mastering the topic of modal verbs. After all, they play a very important role in the English language.
Feature of the modal verb need is that it has its absolute analogue among semantic verbs. In other words, need can act as both a modal and a regular verb.
The difference between the modal verb need and the semantic verb need.
Design difference between modal and semantic verb need consists in the number of their types of tense forms. A modal verb has only the present tense form and forms negation and question independently without the help of auxiliary verbs, while a semantic verb forms a tense form according to general rules. After modal need the infinitive of the semantic verb is used without the particle to, and the verb itself does not change, whereas the semantic verb need in the present tense takes the ending –S in the 3rd person singular. h.:
Modal verb need does not have past and future forms, while the semantic verb has them and can be used, according to general rules, in all tenses of the Simple and Perfect groups. The only point that is worth mentioning regarding the modal need is that in indirect speech it can be used without modification even where the use of the past tense form is required.
Semantic difference between modal and semantic need is that the modal verb is used to express singular necessary actions in the present, while the semantic verb is used to express constant necessity:
Need I do it now?
Do I need to to it every month?
The teacher said we needn’t come.
You don't need to greet him every time you see him.
Need I prove my identity now?
Do I need to prove my identity every time I pass here?
In interrogative sentences when using a modal verb need the speaker expresses doubt about the need for action and hopes for a negative answer, while the semantic verb need does not carry such a load:
Does Nelly need to go there? – Nelly needs to go there? (The speaker simply asks a question and expects a yes or no answer.)
Need Nelly go there? - Nelly needs to go there? (The speaker doubts this or wants to hear the answer no.)
Use of the modal verb need.
The modal verb need is used more often in negation or question to express necessity and is translated into Russian as necessary:
You needn't run there now.
Need she come tomorrow?
Greg doesn't think he needs to mention Polly in his work.
In negative sentences, needn"t may be followed by a perfect infinitive. Such a construction means that the action was performed, but there was no need for it. In in this case needn"t will be translated as in vain, there is no need, there was no need.
Helen needn"t have waited for Fred because he never came.
Ted needn't have bought this car, now he is out of money.
