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ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > HELP
HELP
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nounou96
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HELP
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Hi everybody
I am in having trouble trying to explain need to be done and need v+ing?
Is there any difference between the two structures ? |
6 May 2011
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maryse pey�
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Hi dear,
my car needs to be repaired : PASSIVE FORM with a passive infinitive.
�my car needs repairing� is the exact sentence to write as a very kind colleague told me privately. Thanks to her I can give you a good answer ! Dreaming is not always good when working. |
6 May 2011
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yanogator
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The active form is "I need to repair my car". In British English, they also say "My car needs repairing" (I think). Bruce |
6 May 2011
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nounou96
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Thank you for your help but still on the book they wrote this
both structures have similar meaning which is need to be done like in thses two examples;
the TV needs to be fixed
the TV needs fixing
So are they both passive ???
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6 May 2011
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maryse pey�
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yes, the difference is that �to be fixed � is a passive infinitive whereas �fixing � is a gerundive.
Both sentences are passive, only the end is different.
�Fixing � insists on the action of whereas the infinitive passive is neutral. |
6 May 2011
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yanogator
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I wouldn �t call the second one passive, because there is no form of "to be" in the sentence. Bruce |
6 May 2011
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memthefirst
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Bruce I think the second sentence is structurally active but semantically passive
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6 May 2011
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yanogator
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I �ll accept that, mem. Bruce |
6 May 2011
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almaz
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As a finite verb, �need � can be followed by either the infinitive with
�to � (eg I need to learn the words of �Little Deuce Coupe � by Saturday) or
the gerund (this accordion needs tuning).
The auxiliary �need � only takes the uninflected bare infinitive (as in
�I/you/he need never know... �)
As far as the passive is concerned, you don �t always need an explicit form of �to be
� (attributive modifiers like �densely populated � or �intensely disliked � -
�an intensely disliked boss �, for example - are essentially subjectless
passives). I �m not too sure if that �s what �memthefirst � means by "the
second sentence is structurally active but semantically passive".
Apparently, it �s frowned upon in the US to say �my car needs washed �
(Merriam-Webster DEU). Is this still true? If it �s any consolation, �my car wants washing/washed �
is quite common in the UK and the knowledge that it �s not considered �standard
� hasn �t caused mass psychoses and suicides yet.
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6 May 2011
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memthefirst
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Dear Almaz,
As far as I �m concerned in your examples the words " populated" and "disliked" are Adjectives instead of Verbs.
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6 May 2011
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almaz
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Mem,
I did say �attributive modifiers�. Populated by whom?/disliked by whom?. The agent isn�t mentioned, that�s all.
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6 May 2011
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