| Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993. |
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| need (n., v., aux.) |
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| The noun, when it combines with a preposition, takes of, for, or to plus an infinitive: There is need of [for] haste. We have a great need to hurry. The verb means “to want, desire, or require” as in She needs help, and it can combine with the preposition to plus an infinitive or a passive infinitive, as in She needs to see [to be seen by] a dentist, or it can be followed by a gerund as direct object, as in The lamp needs fixing. The past participle in a somewhat similar construction is dialectal and Nonstandard: This lamp needs fixed. The auxiliary is uninflected, means “to be required to,” and is followed by an infinitive without a to, as in The only thing he need do is write them. It is particularly frequent with a negative: No one need fear reprisal. She need never learn of it. They need not attend. | 1 |
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| | | The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Copyright © 1993 Columbia University Press. |
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