need 用法. 跟to還是ing? 為何有時不用加s?

need 用法1

問：× Tinna needs her house at seven o’clock every morning.. (《朗文英語正誤辭典》, p.254) 作者要求將needs leave 改為needs to leave。我認為將needs leave 改為need leave 也是同樣正確的。

答：作為情態動詞使用的need 用法只能用於否定句、疑問句和含有否定意義的句子裡。因此, 在上面的句子裡不能改為needs leave。
(參見need 用法4)

need 用法2

問：She said she need be afraid of nothing.句中need 為什麼用現在式?

答：作為情態動詞使用的need 如同must, ought to 一樣, 其本身沒有過去式, 可以用在間接引語中來指過去時間(見must) :

1. The boss said I needn’t come the next day. 老闆說我第二天不必來了。
2. I asked if he need go. 我問他是否需要去。

need 用法3 (need doing / to be done)

問：“My watch has been losing time for the past week.”“It probably needs ________”
A. cleaning
B. to clean
C. cleaned
D. to be cleaned.
(TOEFL, 70.3)

答案為A。但我認為D(to be cleaned) 似乎也是正確的。

答：這道題作為文法結構試題是不恰當的。因為這裡有兩個同樣正確的答案。此題很明顯地與下列託福試題相矛盾:
The coffee is very cold, it needs ______.
A. hot
B. to be heating
C. to be heated
D. to be hotted
(TOEFL, 75.5)

見need 用法5 (need/require to be done), 請與其中的試題作比較。

need 用法4 (need do/ needs to do)

問：“Would you like me to go to the dentist with you?”“No, you _______ with me.”
A. need not to go
B. do not need go
C. need not go
D. need go not
(TOEFL)
這道考題把我弄糊塗了, 不知哪個答案是正確的。

答：在解答有關need 的考題時應牢記: need 用法既可用作情態動詞, 也可用作一般動詞。用作情態動詞時, 它就像can, may, will 一樣, 沒有詞尾變化(第三人稱不加- s), 後面跟不帶to 的動詞不定詞, 構成否定句和疑問句時不借助於助動詞do, 而採用need not (needn’t) 的形式。還有一點必須記住, 就是它只能用於否定句和疑問句, 一般不用於肯定句。

1. Need I type this letter again?
   我是不是需要把這封信再打一遍?
2. So you needn’t hurry with your meeting.
   所以你不必著急趕會議。
3. A bus is coming. So I needn’t take a taxi.
   公共汽車來了, 因此我不必乘計程車了。

need 用作一般動詞時, 後面要跟帶to 的動詞不定詞, 構成否定句和疑問句時, 要借助於助動詞do。這種用法的need 既可用於肯定句, 也可用於否定句和疑問句。

1. The working class needs to tackle its problem in a new way.
   工人階級需要用新的方式來解決他們的問題。
2. Does he need to know?
   他需要知道嗎?
3. They did not need to arrive early.
   他們不必到達得很早。

小練習：請選出正確的答案。（留言作答）
1. You _________ to the meeting this afternoon if you have something important to do.
A. needn’t to come
B. don’t need come
C. don’t need coming
D. needn’t come
2. The succeed in scientific research project, ________.
A. one needs to be persistent
B. persistence is needed
C. one needs be a persistent person
D. persistence is what one needs.

need 用法5 (need/ require to be done)

問：1981 年研究所考試英語試題第1.14 題:
The electric shaver _______ before it can be used.
A. needs repairing
B. requires to be repaired.
C. should in repair
D. has to be repairable
E. must repair
標準答案規定選A。但是, 我認為選B 也是正確的, 不知您以為然否?

答：同意你的說法。A. J. Herbert在The Structure of Technical Enlglish (Longmans, 1965, p.42) 一書中認為, need repairing, need to be repaired, require repairing, require to be repaired 是平行結構:

The bearings need/require lubricating/to be lubricated.
軸承需要潤滑。
Radiation is the most efficient form of transmission for heat which requires to be transmitted in all directions. (p.43)
對於需要在所有方向上的傳熱來說, 輻射是最有效的傳熱方式。

權威性的英語著作A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language 也作了同樣的論述。該書在列舉了下面的例句之後, 指出require 與need 具有相同的用法(第16.39 節) :

That door needs painting/to be painted.
那扇門需要油漆一下。

小練習：請選出正確的答案。（留言作答）
1. The coffee is very cold, it needs __________.
A. hot
B. to be heating
C. to be heated
D. to be hotted
2. “Why don’t you use the carving knife?” “It needs ________.”
A. sharpened
B. being sharp
C. sharpening
D. to sharpen

Needn’t 用法

問：It needn’t to be hot in Florida now.
我不理解needn’t 在這裡的含義。

答：根據R. Quirk 等人的解釋, 上面的句子是下面句子的否定句:

It must be hot in Florida now.
現在佛羅里達一定很熱。

因此, 可把needn’t 看作是must 的否定式, 意思是“不一定”、“未必”。

Didn’t need/ needn’t have done

問：(1)‘You needn’t have said that,’my wife answered… (New Concept English, Book 2, L.41)
(2) Those who failed to get in need not have felt disappointed as many of the artistes who should have appeared did not come. (New Concept English, Book 2, L.89)
最新的一個中譯本(《新概念英語》(二), 朗文出版公司、世界圖書出版公司, 1993, p.379) 將need not have felt disappointed 譯為“用不著遺憾”, 這是否意味著need not have done 與did not need 同義?

答：這兩個結構所表達的意義是完全不同的。請考察下列兩對句子:

1. (A) They didn’t need to come here.
   他們不必來這兒。
   (B) They needn’t have come here.
   他們本來不必來這兒的。
2. (A) I didn’t need to take my overcoat.
   我不必去取我的外套。
   (B) I needn’t have taken my overcoat.
   我本來不必去取我的外套的。

句(A) 表達在當時沒有必要做某事, 沒有反現實的含義。而句(B) 表示過去做過的事現在看來是沒有必要的, 因此具有反現實的含義。They needn’t have come here. = 他們本不必來這裡的。此句含有“他們實際上已來到這裡”的意思。因此, 你提問的第一個句子You needn’t have said that. = 你本用不著說這樣的話。此句含有“你已經說了這樣的話”的意思。同樣, 你提問的第二個句子who…need not have felt disappointed = 其實他們本不應該感到失望的。此句含有“他們實際上確實曾經感到很失望”的意思。因此可以看出, 在上面的兩個句子裡都不能用didn’t need 來代替needn’t have done。請進一步分析這兩種結構在下列各句中的區別:

1. They did not need to arrive so early.
   他們不必到得這麼早。
2. You needn’t have mentioned it, mother.
   媽媽, 你本不必提這件事的。
3. You need not have gone there yesterday.
   你昨天本不必去那裡的。

小練習：請選出正確的答案。
There was plenty of time. She ________.
A. mustn’t have hurried
B. couldn’t have hurried
C. must not hurry
D. needn’t have hurried