THE FLATMATES

Language point:
Need to and Needs -ing
BBC Learning English The Flatmates

The Flatmates Need to and Needs -ing

You can see this language point online at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode121/languagepoint.shtml

We use 'need' to talk about things we think are necessary to do. We can use two
different structures need / needs to and need / needs -ing

Need to
We use this form when we want to talk about something that's necessary for someone
to do. We usually mention who is going to do it. For example: "I need to go to the
dentist" means "It's necessary for me to visit the dentist".

We form this structure with:

subject need or needs to verb

Ellie needs to practise
Alice needs to wear a uniform
They need to go shopping
We need to post the letters

We form the negative with:

subject don't or doesn't need to verb

Paul doesn't need to take Ellie riding
She doesn't need to drive
We don't need to pay to go to the park
They don't need to buy a present

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BBC Learning English The Flatmates

Need ing
We can use this form when we want to talk about something that is necessary for
someone to do. We don't have to say who is going to do it. For example, when the
instructor said "Dusty needs untacking" she meant "The horse needs to be untacked
by you, Ellie".

This is a passive structure where the usual subject + verb + object form changes to
object + need + verb+ing.

We form this structure with:

object need or needs verb+ing

The horse needs untacking
The house needs tidying
The stables need mucking out
These letters need posting

We form the negative with:

object don't or doesn't need verb+ing

The car doesn't need washing
The plant doesn't need watering
The stables don't need painting
The horses don't need feeding

Vocabulary:
halt (formal)
stop

dismount
get off something you ride (for example, a horse or a bike)

enough of the love-fest (informal, here used sarcastically)

stop being so loving to each other

untack (specialised horse vocabulary)

take off the saddle and other pieces equipment that are used for riding a horse

a stable
a building where horses are kept

mucking out (specialised animal vocabulary)

cleaning out the horse stables

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BBC Learning English The Flatmates

Would you like to try an online quiz about this language point? Go to:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode121/quiz.shtml

Or you can download the quiz from:

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode121/fm_quiz_071127.pdf

For more information about this language point go to:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1536_gramchallenge
8/

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