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Sarcandra Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

must vs. need to

Hi. I took one of the tests posted on this website. I have a question about one of the items. The sentence is

You _______ be a member of the library before you can borrow books.
Choices: must/need to

To me they're interchangeable in this sentence, but I prefer "need to," though I can't explain why. According to the test "checker" the correct answer is "must."

Could someone explain why "need to" is wrong? Thanks.
  

Top answer

sarcandra Could someone explain why "need to" is wrong? I would not say that it's wrong, but technically you don't have a need to be a member of a library. You need air to breathe.

— CalifJim

  • sarcandra Could someone explain why "need to" is wrong?
  • I would not say that it's wrong, but technically you don't have a need to be a member of a library.
  • You need air to breathe.
  • You need food to eat.
  • But nothing really awful will happen if you don't become a member of a library.
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6 Answers
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sarcandraCould someone explain why "need to" is wrong?
I would not say that it's wrong, but technically you don't have a need to be a member of a library. You need air to breathe. You need food to eat. But nothing really awful will happen if you don't become a member of a library.

Maybe that's the line of reasoning the test-makers had in mind.
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Thanks, CJ. Although the use of "the library" makes me think of something specific, like our university library. It would be awful if I couldn't borrow the books I needed for class!

By the way, in my last sentence is it "class" or "classes"? I use "class" in such cases even when I have more than one class but some say it should be "classes" since it's a count noun.

Thanks again!
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sarcandraBy the way, in my last sentence is it "class" or "classes"?
As written, I thought of "one class". Either 'class' or 'classes' is possible.

CJ
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Thanks. Just one more question, how about "It's the first day of class" to mean "It's the first day of school"?
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sarcandra"It's the first day of class" to mean "It's the first day of school"?
Yes. That's a reasonable equivalent.

CJ
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