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"You don't need" vs. "You needn't"
Hello!
Are there any of you who prefer "you needn't" to "you don't need" in your daily speech? Where do you come from then? Thanks!
"You needn't" is seldom, if ever heard in America. I would go with "you don't need." This construction is more common with non-helping verbs anyway.
No one anywhere really says "You needn't". Just remove it from your active vocabulary.
Is "You needn't" still used in the UK? It strikes me as more of a British usage, but I don't know whether it's still current.
And how about in Australia/New Zealand?
<Just remove it from your active vocabulary. >
Really?? Even in such contexts? - Shall I put those bags in the trunk? - No, you needn't, thank you. <This construction is more common with non-helping verbs anyway> What are non-helping verbs? What construction, Skippy?
"No one anywhere really says "You needn't". Just remove it from your active vocabulary."
I see. And have you taken your pills today?
You needn't discard this phrase, it's still active in the UK, although not so common nowadays.
You should know about this construction passively, though you needn't stress about using it right.
Humble: In American English at least...
- Shall I put those bags in the trunk? - No, you don't need to, thank you.
- Humble: In American English at least...
- Shall I put those bags in the trunk? - No, you don't need to, thank you. - In American English, that SHALL is optional (or obsolete for many youngsters) too
If the SHALL is optional, what would you say then? I mean without SHALL.
"I don't need a pen"
or "I needn't a pen" Is it used in this context? I don't know, but I don't use "needn't". <<Should or going to is normally used, not shall.>> "going to" isn't used. "Should I put those bags in the trunk?" *"Going to I put those bags in the trunk?" |