Dare and need

The verb “dare” as well as “need” has some peculiarities which make it different from other modal verbs.

It is used both as a normal verb (taking the auxiliary “do” in the interrogative and negative forms, “-s” in the 3^d person singular and the to-Infinitive) and as anomalous verb (without any auxiliary in its interrogative and negative forms, without “-s” in the 3^d person singular and without the particle “to” before the infinitive which follows it). “Dare” has two forms – “dare” for the Present and “dared” for the Past.

e.g. You dare address me in that tone!

How dare you laugh at me!

“Dare” means “to have the courage or impertinence to do something”. In the negative it denotes the lack of courage to do smth. (see the examples given above).

“Dare” is mostly used in interrogative and negative sentences and only with the Indefinite Infinitive.

“Need” expresses necessity and is mostly used in negative and interrogative sentences.

“Need” has only one tense form – the Present; it is used both with the Indefinite and with the Perfect Infinitive.

When “need” is used in the meaning of “to be in want of” it is treated as a normal verb (e.g. He needs a new pair of shoes.)

In the same way as “dare”, “need” is used as a normal and as an anomalous verb; the latter is much more common in colloquial English.

Compare: One need to be careful.

He did not need to be told twice.

Why need he bother us?

You needn’t be afraid.

“Need” is used in the following way:

Meaning	Forms of the modal verb	Other ways of expressing the same meaning	Sentence patterns
Absence of necessity (in negatives)	Needn’t do Needn’t + Perfect infinitive denotes that smth, that has been done, was unnecessary.	There is no need to do it. It’s not necessary to do it. There is no necessity to do it.	The tutor needn’t explain such simple things; we know them quite well. We needn’t have brought our books on economics; we are having a class in English instead.
Permission not to do smth	You needn’t do		You needn’t do it.

Note:

1. When need means absence of necessity, it has an equivalent – have to: He needn’t go there. – He doesn’t have to go there.

2. The Perfect infinitive used after need shows that an unnecessary action was done.

3. Did not have + infinitive simply shows that there was no necessity for the action in the past without showing whether the action was performed or not.

Exercises

Exercise 1

Express some threat using the verb ‘dare’. Expand on the statements.

Model: You dare touch me, I’ll fight you.

• to argue back;

• to hit him;

• to be rude;

• to call names;

• to use bad language;

• to laugh at me;

• to tease her.

Exercise 2

Express some probability / supposition using ‘dare say’. Add some more sentences to develop the situation.

Model: I dare say he’s tired. He has worked for eight hours

• he (to come later);

• she (to be eager to buy this dress);

• they (to be hungry);

• you (to be thirsty);

• they (to be exhausted);

• you (to be interested in music);

• she (to know a lot about the theatre);

• he (to arrive tomorrow).

Exercise 3

Read the following extract and comment on the usage of the modal verbs.

The love that is given to ships is profoundly different from the love men feel for every other work of their hands – the love they bear to their houses, for instance – because it is untainted by the pride of possession. The pride of skill, the pride of responsibility, the pride of endurance there may be, but otherwise it is disinterested sentiment. No seaman ever cherished a ship, even if she belonged to him, merely because of the profit she put in his pocket. No one, I dare say, ever did; for a ship-owner, even of the best, has always been outside the pale of that sentiment, embracing in a feeling of intimate, equal fellowship the ship and the man, backing each other against the implacable, if sometimes dissembled, hostility of their world of waters. The sea – this truth must be confessed – has no generosity. No display of manly qualities – courage, endurance, faithfulness – has ever been known to touch its irresponsible consciousness of power. The ocean has the conscienceless temper of a savage autocrat spoiled by much adulation. The ocean cannot brook the slightest appearance of defiance, and has remained the irreconcilable enemy of ships and men ever since ships and men had the unheard of audacity to go afloat together in the face of his frown.

(From Mirror of the Sea by J. Conrad)

Exercise 4

Study the following chart. Translate the following sentences into Ukrainian.

Needn’t (the meaning of absence of necessity )

With a non-perfect infinitive with a perfect infinitive

1. You needn’t write to him for he 1. He must be in his office at nine o’clock,

he will be here tomorrow. but he got up yesterday at six. He needn’t have got up so early.

2. I needn’t go to the shops today. 2. The water was clean and fit to drink; it

There is plenty of food in the house. needn’t have been boiled.

Practise the following according to the model.

Model: A. You went by taxi, I suppose? (to take a bus)

B. No, I took a bus.

C. You needn’t have taken a bus. You could have gone by taxi.

1. You went by bus, I suppose? (to walk).

2. You took a lift, I suppose? (to walk up the stairs).

3. You phoned him, I suppose? (to write).

4. You borrowed the books, I suppose? (to buy).

5. You went second class, I suppose? (to go first class).

6. You left your heavy case at the station, I suppose? (to take it with me).

7. You sent the sheets to the laundry, I suppose? (to wash it myself)

Exercise 5

Open the brackets using the correct form of the infinitive.

1. You needn’t (to send) a telegram; a letter would have done.

2. She washed all the plates, but some of them had not been used; they needn’t (to wash).

3. You needn’t (to buy) a new one. I could have lent you mine.

4. I knew I had to be at the airport before ten o’clock; I needn’t (to tell).

5. You needn’t (to help) him. (You helped him but he didn’t need help).

6. He was wide awake when his father called him at seven o’clock this morning; he needn’t (to call).

7. The gardener planted the flowers in March, but they needn’t (to plant) until May.

8. Why did they paint the garage doors? They were painted a few months ago. They needn’t (to paint) again.

9. I bought two bottles of milk.-You needn’t (to buy) milk; we have lots in the house.

10. I have just watered the roses.-You needn’t (to water) them. Look, it’s raining now!

Exercise 6

Paraphrase the following sentences so as to use need.

Model: It isn’t necessary to copy the composition; I can read it as it is. – You needn’t copy the composition… or: It was quite unnecessary to rush there in that weather. They would have managed perfectly well by themselves. – You needn’t have rushed there in that weather …

1. There was no necessity whatever for her to do it herself.

2. There is no earthly reason to worry. She is as strong as a horse.

3. There is no need for any of you to be present.

4. Is it any use our going into all that now?

5. It’s no use your talking to him now. His mind is made up.

6. Why did you mention all these figures? The situation was clear as it was.

7. Why do you want to press the skirt? It’s not creased at all.

8. Why do you want to do it all today?

9. It wasn’t necessary for Mother to cook this enormous dinner. We have brought all the food the children may want.

10. It isn’t necessary to take the six-thirty. A later train will do as well.

Exercise 7

Use must not or need not to fill the spaces in the following spaces. (Use mustn’t when the meaning is ‘it is not allowed’ and suggests a command. Use needn’t when the meaning is ‘it is not necessary’)

1. You ____ ring a bell. I have the key.

2. You ____ drink this; it’s poison.

3. We ____ drive fast; there is a speed limit there.

4. Students ____ bring books into the examination room.

5. You _____ write to him; he will be here tomorrow/

6. We ____ drive fast; we have plenty of time.

7. You____ make any noise or you’ll wake the baby.

8. You _____ bring an umbrella. It isn’t going to rain.

9. You ____ do all the exercise. Ten sentences will be enough.

10. Any child ____ lie to his parents.

11. You ____ turn on the light; I can see quite well.

12. You ____ strike a match; the room is full of gas.

13. We ____ make any more sandwiches; we have plenty now.

14. You ____ put salt in any of his dishes. Salt is very bad for him.

15. You ____ clean the windows. The window-cleaner will come tomorrow.

16. You _____ smoke in a non-smoking compartment.

17. I’ll lend you the money and you ____ pay me back till next month.

18. If you want time, pick up the receiver and dial 069; you ____ say anything.

Exercise 8

Paraphrase the following sentences. Use needn’t+ Perfect infinitive to show that the unnecessary action was carried out. Use did not have (to) to show that an action was unnecessary in the past.

Model: - I’m sorry I changed before dinner. Nobody else did.

I needn’t have changed before dinner. Nobody else did.

- I’m so glad it wasn’t necessary for me to take this examination in spring.

I’m so glad I did not have to take this examination in spring.

1. They did not make us buy a full ticket for Andy. We saved some money that way.

2. It wasn’t necessary to explain the rules to them. They made no mistakes of this kind.

3. They didn’t expect us to write outlines and I wasted so much time!

4. I’m sorry I bought these gloves. Mother gave me better ones for my birthday.

5. It was a comfortable journey because it wasn’t necessary to change anywhere.

6. It is a pity you walked. There is a bus which could take you here in ten minutes.

Exercise 9

Comment on the meaning of the modal verb “need”. Translate the sentences into Ukrainian.

1. Our friendship needn’t stop, need it?

2. Everything is packed, except my shirts, so you needn’t trouble.

3. “I’ve got lots of time. I needn’t go home for hours,” she said.

4. You needn’t bother about Mary any more.

5. Need we continue working by this plan?

6. You needn’t have walked there. You could have taken a bus.

7. You needn’t be afraid of telling me everything.

8. I was rather afraid that he might act as though we were intimate friends. But I needn’t have worried.

9. If you don’t like the dress, you needn’t take it.

Exercise 10

Fill in mustn’t, needn’t, didn’t need to, needn’t have.

1. You _______ bought me such an expensive present!

2. You _______ take your umbrella; the weather is fine.

3. I _____ catch the bus, because Jane picked me up.

4. You _______ smoke in here! This is a hospital.

5. She ______ dress formally for the occasion so she came in jeans.

6. Paul ________ brought up that subject, we had already discussed it.

Exercise 11

Ask about the necessity of performing an action for the particular occasion. Make use of the prompts.

Model: Need she do it right now? // Does she have to do it right now? // Has she got to do it right now?

Express non-necessity of performing an action. Make use of the prompts.

Model: She needn’t do it right now. // She doesn’t have to do it right now. // She hasn’t got to do it right now. (Present) She needn’t have done it. (Past)

• Answer smb’s questions;

• Go shopping;

• Read the text;

• Translate the article;

• Watch the film;

• Do the room;

• Go to the market;

• Buy some bread;

• Learn the poem by heart;

• Prepare dinner;

• Do the exercises in writing;

• Copy out the text.

Exercise 12

Analyze the form of the modal verb. Say in which meaning it is used. Translate the sentences into Ukrainian.

1. You may keep the money I’ve given you, I don’t need it yet.

2. They need have no fear of that.

3. We needn’t go into this in present.

4. I don’t want to get up. – You don’t have to.

5. Doesn’t she have to work on Sunday?

6. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to pay for it.

7. He won’t have to go to the office. He’ll be able to do something about those roses at last.

8. You needn’t have gone into so many details. The report was too long.

9. We needn’t have gone to the post office to ring him up. There is a telephone booth round the corner.

10. You needn’t have shed my tears over that loss.

11. We needn’t have brought our bathing suits with us. It’s rather cold for swimming today.

12. He considered that this need not have taken place.

13. Must we copy the text two? – No, you needn’t.

14. Must I go there immediately? – No, you needn’t. Wait till I ring you up.

15. You needn’t come to classes today. You’ve handed in all your papers.

Exercise 13

Use modal verbs must (not) or need (not) to fill the spaces in the following sentences.

1. We’ve got plenty of time. We ______hurry.

2. We have enough food at home so we _____ go shopping today.

3. Dennis gave me a letter to post. I _____ forget to post it.

4. You ____ talk to other candidates during the exam.

5. There’s plenty of time for you to make up you mind. You ______ decide now.

6. You ____ take anything out of the shop without paying for it.

7. You _____wash those apples. They’ve already been washed.

8. This is a valuable book. You _____look after it carefully and you _____lose it.

9. We ____ open the lion’s cage. It is contrary to Zoo regulations.

10. It’s later than I thought. I_____be going now.

11. We ____ climb any higher; we can see very well from here.

12. You ____ ask a woman her age. It’s not polite.

13. I promised I’d be on time. I _____ be late.

14. Everything is OK. You _____trouble about that at all.

15. I can manage the shopping alone. You _____go with me.

Exercise 14

Paraphrase the following sentences so as to use different modal verbs to denote obligation as required by the sense of the sentence.

1. Last year it wasn’t necessary for you to see too many historic buildings and places when on holiday. And now you want a rest from sightseeing.

2. You seem to like crowds. So I advise you to meet and make friends with as many people as possible.

3. It isn’t necessary for you to prompt him, he never forgets the words. His memory is striking.

4. It was arranged that on the very day of his arrival they would record his speech, but they failed to do it, because something went wrong with the tape-recorder.

5. The main thing with higher education is that it isn’t necessary for some students to pay for it. What is more, they get grants.

6. Your teacher advised you to make use of the tape-recording to review the material. Why don’t you follow his advice?

7. Don’t get excited over such trifles. It’s not necessary for you to worry about little things.

8. I see no reason why we should argue.

9. It wasn’t necessary for her to carry the bags all by herself: there were porters at the station.

10. Is it so very necessary that you should go there at all?

11. What’s the use of reproaching yourself?

12. I don’t think there is any need to bother them.

13. It was quite unnecessary for you to do the work instead of him.

14. There is no use worrying about her; she is quite able to take care of herself.

Exercise 15

Translate into English.

1. Нам можна було не поспішати, у нас ще багато часу.

2. Даремно ви так далеко ходили, все можна купити в нашому магазині.

3. Я встигла все зробити вчора тільки тому, що мені не потрібно було готувати обід.

4. Мені не довелося довго його чекати. Він прийшов одразу ж.

5. Йому судилося стати моїм найкращим другом.

6. Вам доведеться подзвонити йому ще раз.

7. Я не можу піти. Я повинна доглядати за дитиною, я обіцяла сестрі.

8. Зачекай трохи, я маю дочитати розділ до кінця.

9. Мені довелося кинути все і їхати зустрічати її.

10. Вона могла б цього й не казати. Я і сам розумів, що скоїв дурницю.