going to need

Question

You're running for president. Your are going to need their states. (their refers to some governors)

Why did the author choose to use 'are going to need' instead of 'need'? I think he needs their votes starting from now until the election is over, not sometime later.

Thanks in advance!

MrPedantic · Accepted Answer

Hello Anon,

Consider these examples:

1. You're running for president. You need their votes.

2. You're running for president. You're going to need their votes.

3. You're running for president. You'll need their votes.

For me, #1 has an air of urgency: the "needing" begins in the present.

In #2, on the other hand, the "needing" is placed in the future. This is reasonable: the election has not yet taken place. Moreover, "you're going to need" often has an air of "cautionary advice".

Lastly, #3 suggests a simple prediction.

(I should add though that native speakers often disagree about the nuances of these forms; so other members may have other ideas.)

All the best,

MrP

CalifJim · Answer

Why did the author choose to use 'are going to need' instead of 'need'? I think he needs their votes starting from now until the election is over, not sometime later.

No, he doesn't need the votes at this very moment. The votes won't be cast until election day. So it's definitely future. They are obviously planning strategy for the upcoming election. You're going to have to do X, you're going to have to do Y, and you're going to have to do Z, ... -- all the things that must be done before the election in order to earn the votes, because "You're going to need the votes (when election day rolls around)".

If the votes are being counted at the end of election day, however, and the count is close, you might say to a candidate, "You only need 1000 more votes to win". Then, the need would be a present need, not a future need.

CJ

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