The Modal Verb Need

The modal verb need is used to express necessity or lack of necessity. It’s used with different forms of the infinitive and has only one form.

· Need I repeat it?

· She needn’t worry. The child is safe.

· We needn’t have hurried. The train was late.

 

We can use need like have to to say that something is necessary or not necessary.

· Jim needs to leave soon.

· Because it rained, I won’t need to water the garden.

 

We can also use needn’t or need not (without to) to say that something is not necessary on a particular occasion. We usually use don’t need to for things that are not necessary in general.

• It’s still early so we needn’t rush (NOT We needn’t to rush)
• Students don’t need to pay to use the library. (NOT Students needn’t pay to use the library)

 

We use didn’t need to when we mean it was not necessary to do something. We use needn’t have plus a past participle when we mean something unnecessary was done.

• I knew there wouldn’t be a test, so I didn’t need to study. I watched TV instead.
• I studied all night, then found out the test was cancelled. I needn’t have studied at all.

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Как модальный глагол имеет только одну форму need [nJd], употребляется только в вопросительных и отрицательных предложениях с инфинитивом без частицы to. Означает необходимость совершения действия (нужно, надо) или отсутствие таковой (в отрицательных предложениях).

С простым инфинитивом употребляется в вопросительных и отрицательных предложениях по отношению к настоящему или будущему времени, выражая необходимость. Образует вопросительную и отрицательную формы без вспомогательного do.

а) В отрицательных предложениях need выражает отсутствие такой необходимости – не нужно, незачем, нет необходимости.

You needn’t do it.	Тебе незачем делать это.
You needn’t hurry.	Тебе не нужно торопиться.
You needn’t tell me about it.	Тебе не нужно говорить мне об этом.
She needn’t go there.	Ей незачем идти туда.

Следует различать:

You must not come here.	Тебе нельзя (запрещено) приходить сюда.
You needn’t come here.	Тебе не нужно (нет необходимости) приходить сюда.

 

б) В вопросительных – сомнение в целесообразности действия, при этом чаще всего предполагается отрицательный ответ - нужно (ли), надо (ли), должен (ли).

Need I repeat it?	Надо ли мне повторять это?
Need I write to him?	Нужно ли мне написать ему?
Need we go there?	Нужно ли/Стоит ли нам идти туда?

Ответы на вопрос:

Need I buy any bread and sugar?	Надо мне купить хлеб и сахар?
No, you needn't.	Нет, не нужно.
Yes, you must.	Да, надо.

Различия:

Shell I help him?	Ему помочь? (просто спрашиваю указания, распоряжения без какого-либо смыслового подтекста)
Must I help him?	Должен я ему помочь? (Это обязательно? Является ли это моим безусловным моральным долгом?)
Should I help him?	Следует мне ему помочь? (интересуюсь вашим личным мнением)
Need I help him?	Нужно ли мне ему помочь? (У меня есть сомнение, стоит или не стоит это делать?)

Need (not) + Perfect Infinitive (относится к прошлому)

В вопросительных – то же самое сомнение в целесообразности, но отнесенное к прошлому.

Need he have come here?	Была ли необходимость ему сюда приходить?
Need you have paid so much?	Разве тебе обязательно было платить так много?

В отрицательных – означает, что действие было произведено в прошлом, но в этом не было необходимости (напрасная трата времени и усилий) – зря, незачем было, не нужно было и т.п.

You needn’t have come.	Тебе не нужно было приходить (зря ты это сделал).
You needn’t have hurried.	Не нужно было вам спешить (зря вы поспешили).
You needn’t have worried.	Не нужно было беспокоиться.

 

В косвенной речи need, подобно must, не меняет свою форму.

The teacher said that we needn’t come.

Учитель сказал, что нам не надо приходить.

Примечание:

Модальный глагол need не надо путать со знаменательным/смысловым глаголом need, означающим нуждаться, испытывать необходимость в чем-либо.

Смысловой глагол need употребляется во всех видах предложений и в разных временных формах, которые он образует с помощью вспомогательных глаголов. Вопросительная и отрицательная формы в Present и Past Indefinite образуются с помощью вспомогательного do. После него употребляется дополнение, выраженное существительным, местоимением или инфинитивом с to.

Модальный глагол need имеет только одну форму, не требует вспомогательных глаголов, употребляется в вопросах и отрицаниях. После него употребляется только инфинитив без to.

Например:

Need I read it? (модальный)	Стоит ли (нужно ли; есть ли необходимость) мне читать это? (сомнение)
Do I need to read it?(смысловой)	Нужно мне читать это? (просто вопрос)

После глагола need в качестве смыслового может употребляться существительное или местоимение в роли дополнения:

I need your help.	Мне нужна твоя помощь.
Do you need my help?	Тебе нужна моя помощь?
Did you need my help?	Тебе нужна была моя помощь?
He needs a pen.	Ему нужна ручка.
Does he need a pen?	Ему нужна ручка?
Father will need your car tomorrow.	Отцу понадобится твоя машина завтра.
Do you need any money?	Тебе нужны деньги?
What do you need?	Что вам нужно?
Need you go there so soon?	Нужно ли вам (должны ли вы) ехать туда так скоро?
You need hardly remind me of it	Вам едва ли надо напоминать мне об этом.
I need not tell you how important that is.	Мне не нужно говорить вам, как это важно.

 

Глагол needn't в сочетании с Perfect Infinitive употребляется в отношении прошедшего времени и означает, что лицу, о котором идет речь, не было необходимости совершать действие:

You needn't have done it.

Вам не нужно было этого делать.

Exercise 1. Translate the following sentences with the modal verb need denoting absence of necessity or that something, that has been done, was unnecessary.

1. "Oh, I needn't go down!" explained Hammond. "I'll just ring and give the order... you don't want to send me away, do you?" 2. "But you'd bet­ter ask your uncle if you can come". "I needn't do that." 3. We needn't talk. 4. "She needn't even put the jug on, need she?" said Constantia as though Kate might very well complain if the jug had been there! 5. I arrived back at the cottage to find everything quiet and a dry note from Henry on the hall table: "Have driven Mrs. G. home? (Mrs. Griffiths had been babysitting for me, I'd forgotten about her)"... "you needn't have stayed out so long." 6. Siegmund looked at her intently. He was thinking of her left alone amongst strangers. "Need we go — need we leave this place of friends?" he said, as if ironically. 7. "Don't you feel well, dear?" "You needn't make any effort. What is Charles for?" 8. Well, my dear fellow, you need not eat as if you were going to eat it all. 9. I am sure I need not remind you that anything in the least ab­normal should be investigated. 10. You needn't speak if you do not want to, but you will be very foolish indeed if you refuse. 11. I was very young at the time, so I didn't believe him, I needn't tell you. 12. I needn't have deluded myself. It isn't the Aberlaw hospital. It's Llewellyn's* hospital. 13. ….she thought he would give that little laugh of his and tell her that she need not come. 14. I have my reasons, but we needn't go into them.

Exercise 2. State the meaning of the verb need in the fol­lowing sentences.

1. "Is that correct, Mr. Harrison?" He said, "Oh, quite." "Then we needn't trouble you any further." 2. "Is that all?" she cried, smiling. "It's a very proper proceeding for young things, but surely you need not look so serious over it." 3. You needn't be so hard on him now he's down. He's no worse than plenty more. 4. I know when I'm not wanted, and you needn't trouble to show me out because I know my way and I shan't steal the umbrellas. 5. She kept her eyes on the potatoes so that she needn't watch him. 6. You needn't be afraid that Gerald won't be my heir. I needn't tell you I have no intention of marrying. 7. He said I needn't sign it if I didn't want to. 8. You need not in­sist that my hair is greyer than when last you saw me, and my wrinkles more apparent. 9. I wish we needn't keep a servant, Basil, so as I might wait on you. 10. And you needn't act upon his ad­vice if you don't like it. 11. You needn't come in with me, if you don't want to. 12. "You needn't tell me you're shy," she smiled. "All Putney knows you're shy." 13. But you needn't worry. She'll live as long as she can. 14. Would you care to comment on it at all? You needn't, of course, — I ex­pect you know that.

Exercise 3. Use the proper form of the infinitive in brack­ets after the modal verb need.

1. "Oh, well," said Frankie, turning it over in her hand. "I don't see that you need (to worry). It wasn't important." 2. It's the only thing to do, my dear, and as far as I'm concerned you псчч!tiM (lo worry). 3. "Darling, I'm quite intelligent enough to know you're no fool!" — "You needn't (to call) me darling." 4. You needn't (to take) his advice. 5. Tell the typist she needn't (to come). 6. He didn't give satisfaction and they said they needn't (to come) again. 7. "You needn't (to worry) about that," said Flora. 8. Shocked? Well, I suppose one needn't (to be shocked) by what one wouldn't do oneself. 9. ….I don't need (to ask). It's written all over you.

Exercise 4. State whether the verb need is a modal verb or a notional verb.

1. "Love is not like painting," added Mrs. Matisse quietly. "You don't need years of study and training, of experimentation and failure in order to achieve success." 2. You needn't worry. I shall be very much on my guard. I can assure you. 3. "I need some help, Ambassador," said John. "I want to rent or buy the largest white horse in Paris. I also need a supply of rock salt and bacon rind." 4. Now listen, Constance, I want to tell you at once you needn't distress yourself about me and John. 5. The steward saw from his long experience of members that the remark needed an answer. 6. And you needn't bother about Jack — all he really wants is what he calls a quiet life. 7. I think you need the change, darling. I am just trying to think what is best for you. 8. My dear, you needn't be so nervous. You will always be as pretty as possible. 9. I needed something stronger than aspirin. 10. "You needn't excuse your-self," he said at length. "My reasons for helping you were perfectly selfish." 11. You needn't have anything to do with me, my good boy. You've got money of your own. 12. ….and Judith — well, she's got her work, she doesn't need me. 13. What can I do? It means that I must choose be­tween Herbert and my father, and Herbert needs me most. 14. She needs you, father, and you need her. We all need each other. 15. I needed par­ticularly to know his name and I was in a hurry. 16. Looks like rain. Maybe I won't need to water today. 17. The horse needs to be in a sta­ble.

Exercise 5. Translate the following sentences paying atten­tion to the constructions in bold type. Make up your own sentences with these constructions.

1. I'm sure you need not be nervous. And you know I'll stand by you. I won't let you down. 2. I'm all right, thanks. You need not trouble about me. 3. Badger never gets up till lunch time — you needn't worry about him. 4. I don't need to go again over all the things. I know now what I ought to have done. 5. I suppose I needn't take more than a few summer things, need I? 6. We need not go into that. I think I love you enough to under­stand and to forgive. 7. In that case we need not discuss the matter further. 8. You needn't have anything to do with me,my good boy. 9. Really, Edward, if I was not ashamed to take your name, I don't think you need be ashamed to keep it. 10. Do you think it could be? That would be dreadful! Of course, she did seem very depressed. But she needn't have been. 11. You can go now, Evans, and you needn't come till tomorrow morn­ing. 12. You thought I was absolutely mad. Oh, you needn't deny it! I could see well enough what your thoughts were.

Exercise 6. Complete the following sentences.

1. You needn't trouble.... 2. You needn't have stayed out so long…. 3. You needn't speak…. 4. I

needn't do that…. 5. You needn't be afraid that.... 6. I needn't tell you…. 7. I wish we needn't…. 8. You needn't have waited…. 9. You needn't worry 10. You needn't be in so much a hurry to…. 11. You needn't have been worrying about me.... 12. You needn't be nervous.... 13. You needn't bother about Jack.... 14. You needn't wait.... 15. You needn't reproach me…. 16. You needn't deny….

Exercise 7. Complete the following sentences using the modal verb need.

1. The report was too long, you…. 2. You have a lot of time left before you leave, you.... 3. You'll have to wait.... 4. I can hear you perfectly well, you…. 5. I saw them some time ago, you…. 6. The weather is fine, we…. 7. The weather was fine yes­terday, you…. 8. He is upset, you…. 9. If you don't want you…. 10. It's warm today, you…. 11. Your suitcases are not heavy, you.... 12. She'll be all right, we…. 13. She'll come in time, they….

 

Exercise 8. Make up short dialogues with the following state­ments. Use the modal verb must in your questions.

1. You needn't sign this if you don't want to. 2. You needn't call on him. You may ring him up. 3. You needn't act upon his advice, if you don't like it. 4. You needn't go with me if you don't want to. 5. You needn't wait. Remember, that your friends are expecting you. 6. You needn't, of course. 7. You needn't bother. 8. No, we needn't. We have plenty of time.