65 Need to - Ordinary Use

The verb Need can both be used as an Auxiliary and Ordinary verb.

As an Ordinary verb, Need means requiring something.

We usually find this structure in its three forms:

Affirmative form

The structure for Affirmative form is as follows:
Subject + need (as a ordinary verb) + complement.

Negative form

The structure for Negative form is as follows:
Subject + don’t/doesn’t + need + complement.

Interrogative form

The structure for Interrogative form is as follows:
Do/Does + subject + need + complement + (?).

Below are some characteristics of the verb Need when used as an ordinary verb:

• When followed by another action, this should be expressed as infinite with “to”;
• It requires “-s” for the third person singular;
• It can be used in every form (accompanied by the auxiliary “do” for the Negative and Interrogative forms).

• I need a laboratory to make experiments.
• He needs to invent a new device.
• We need the atmosphere to live.
• We don’t need the atmosphere to live.
• Do we need the atmosphere to live?

As an Ordinary verb, Need is used when talking about something which is necessary or required, or when you just would like to have/do something.

We can use Need as an auxiliary and as an ordinary verb. When used as an ordinary verb, we have to remember that it means “require”, needs “to + infinitive”, requires the ending “-s” when we are using the third person singular and that it can be used in all forms.

• Affirmative: Subject + need (as a ordinary verb) + complement (e.g. You need to eat vegetables.);
• Negative: Subject + don’t/doesn’t + need + complement (e.g. You don’t need to eat vegetables.);
• Interrogative: Do/Does + subject + need + complement + (?) (e.g. Do you need to eat vegetables?).

NOTE: If we are using “need” as an ordinary verb in the negative and interrogative forms, we must also have the auxiliary “do” (e.g I do not need, Do you need?).

For example:
— “You need to buy a jacket for winter.” = The person requires a new jacket.
— “He doesn’t need to study history.” = The person is not obliged to study history.
— “Do you need to buy a jacket for winter?” = We use auxiliary verb in interrogative forms.

Let’s revise this content within the [Form] section. Take a look at the [Example] section that shows its use within a context.