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Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Grammar
Noun Vs. Verb
Which is correct.
The door needs to be closed.
or
The door needs closed.
I am being told both is correct, but when you loook at the second statment it tells me that the door needs an item named closed. Not an action.
The door needs to be closed.
or
The door needs closed.
I am being told both is correct, but when you loook at the second statment it tells me that the door needs an item named closed. Not an action.
Top answer
The first one is correct. "Needs" is a lexical verb here - it requires as its complement either a to -infinitive verb or an object. So your first sentence is fine, but 'closed' cannot be an object, as you correctly sensed, which is why it's ungrammatical.
- The first one is correct.
- "Needs" is a lexical verb here - it requires as its complement either a to -infinitive verb or an object.
- So your first sentence is fine, but 'closed' cannot be an object, as you correctly sensed, which is why it's ungrammatical.
- Incidentally, if you're really interested in grammar, your first sentence is called a passive catenative construction.
- BillJ
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2 Answers
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The first one is correct. "Needs" is a lexical verb here - it requires as its complement either a to-infinitive verb or an object. So your first sentence is fine, but 'closed' cannot be an object, as you correctly sensed, which is why it's ungrammatical.
Incidentally, if you're really interested in grammar, your first sentence is called a passive catenative construction.
Incidentally, if you're really interested in grammar, your first sentence is called a passive catenative construction.
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AnonymousI am being told both is correctIt's regional. You may have heard that the second one is correct by someone who lives in a region (e.g. North Carolina) where that turn of phrase is commonly used. I don't recommend using that form.
CJ
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