need and be

[Nightmare85]

Hello all,
We learned that it's okay to write such sentences:
You need not watch this movie because it's too boring.
I need play a game or else I will fall in sleep.

In these cases need is a modal verb and it does not even need the "to".
You need not to watch...

(I hope the things are correct so far.)

Okay, now the other small question:
When I use be, is need still a modal verb as in the other sentences?

You need not be a scientist to find this out.
You need be a scientist to find this out.
Are both sentences correct?

Cheers!

 

[Kondorosi]

With semi-modals like need, the use modal construction is restricted to questions and negatives.

You need not watch this movie because it's too boring. :tick:
I need TO play a game or else I will fall in sleep. :cross:

You need not be a scientist to find this out. :tick:
You need TO be a scientist to find this out. :cross:

 

[Nightmare85]

Thanks,
Okay, I guess and hope these 8 sentences are correct:
I need not play games today.
Need I not play games today?
Needn't I play games today?
I need to play games today.

Phil need not be that arrogant.
Need Phil not be that arrogant?
Needn't Phil be that arrogant?
Phil need to be that arrogant.

P.S. You know who "Phil" is :-D

Cheers!

 

[RonBee]

Thanks,
Okay, I guess and hope these 8 sentences are correct:
I need not play games today.
Need I not play games today?
Needn't I play games today?
I need to play games today.

Phil need not be that arrogant.
Need Phil not be that arrogant?
Needn't Phil be that arrogant?
Phil needs to be that arrogant.

P.S. You know who "Phil" is :-D

Cheers!

Okay, 1, 4, 5 and 8 are all okay. The others seem quite odd. (And they are unclear as to meaning.) Also, you will hear people say "I need to", but "I need not" isn't that common.

 

[bhaisahab]

Okay, 1, 4, 5 and 8 are all okay. The others seem quite odd. (And they are unclear as to meaning.) Also, you will hear people say "I need to", but "I need not" isn't that common.

"I needn't..." is quite common in BrE.

 

[Nightmare85]

Okay, 1, 4, 5 and 8 are all okay. The others seem quite odd. (And they are unclear as to meaning.) Also, you will hear people say "I need to", but "I need not" isn't that common.

Thank you.

So, what are your versions for 2, 3, 6, and 7?
Do I not need play games today?
Don't I need play games today?

Does Phil not need be that arrogant?
Doesn't Phil need be that arrogant?

How's that?

P.S. I miss the "to", but if it's okay without it, then I won't add it.

Cheers!

 

[RonBee]

Do I not need play games today?
Don't I need play games today?

In my opinion, you should use neither one. Instead, say:
.

Do I need to play games today? (It's possible that you might say "Don't I need to play games today", but it doesn't seem very likely.)
​

Does Phil not need be that arrogant?
Doesn't Phil need be that arrogant?

Use neither. Instead, say:
.

Does Phil need to be that arrogant?


​

 

[euncu]

I'm starting to think that this "need" stuff is one of the most troublesome issues of English.
To need or not to need

 

[RonBee]

We need words, because without them we coudn't discuss them. We need them to talk about them.
;-)

 

[Idun]

Furthermore: We need needs.

Idun - the norse goddess of love and knowledge

 

[sarat_106]

Thank you.

So, what are your versions for 2, 3, 6, and 7?
Do I not need play games today?
Don't I need play games today?

Does Phil not need be that arrogant?
Doesn't Phil need be that arrogant?

How's that?

P.S. I miss the "to", but if it's okay without it, then I won't add it.

Cheers!

The clarifications given by RonBee is perfectly Ok. Need is an interesting verb. It can be used as a main verb as well as an auxiliary verb. More often than not, it is used as an auxiliary(modal) verb (such as can or may) than a main verb.
When used as a main verb, need agrees with its subject, takes to before the verb following it, and combines with do in questions, negations, and certain other constructions; as:
He needs to go.
Does he need to go so soon?
He doesn't need to go.
To talk about fixing or improving things, you can use need with an -ing verb:
My hair needs cutting.
The curtains need washing
When used as an auxiliary verb, need does not agree with its subject, does not take to before the verb following it, and does not combine with do:
He needn't go.
Need he go so soon?
The auxiliary forms of need are used primarily in present-tense questions, negations, and conditional clauses. Unlike can and may, auxiliary need has no form for the past tense like could and might.

 

[Nightmare85]

Thank you all!

I'm starting to think that there is a definite difference between BrE and AmE for need.

Can we finally say:

He does not need to play.
He doesn't need to play.
He needs to play.
He hardly needs to play.
Does he need to play?
Does he not need to play?
Doesn't he need to play?
= fully okay for American English

He need not play.
He needn't play.
He needs to play.
He need hardly play. (no s)
Need he play?
Need he not play?
Needn't he play?
= fully okay for British English

:?:

sarat_106, your examples have the same meaning:
He doesn't need to go.
He needn't go.

Do you mean it's just an option?
Sentence one: need = main verb
Sentence two: need = auxiliary verb
Both are possible, right?
(Same as my examples above whose meanings are the same, too.)

Cheers!

 

[sarat_106]

Thank you all!

I'm starting to think that there is a definite difference between BrE and AmE for need.

Can we finally say:

He does not need to play.
He doesn't need to play.
He needs to play.
He hardly needs to play.
Does he need to play?
Does he not need to play?
Doesn't he need to play?
= fully okay for American English

He need not play.
He needn't play.
He needs to play.
He need hardly play. (no s)
Need he play?
Need he not play?
Needn't he play?
= fully okay for British English

:?:

sarat_106, your examples have the same meaning:
He doesn't need to go.
He needn't go.

Do you mean it's just an option?
Sentence one: need = main verb
Sentence two: need = auxiliary verb
Both are possible, right?
(Same as my examples above whose meanings are the same, too.)

Cheers!

You are absolutely right, but I an not sure whether BrE is 100% modal and AmE is 100% main. After all as main verb, it has more flexibility of being adopted to different forms/constructions.

 

[bhaisahab]

He need not play.
He needn't play.
He needs to play.
He need hardly play. (no s)
Need he play?
Need he not play?
Needn't he play?
= fully okay for British English
Yes.