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Joe2012 Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

What is a difference between them?

"I need not tell you how you help them." OR "I don't need to tell how you help them."

My question: What is a difference between "need not" and "don't need"? Are they mean the same thing? Are both the sentences saying the same thing?

Thanks and regardsEmotion: smile
  

Top answer

In sentences like yours they mean the same thing. "don't need" and "needn't" are conversational, "do not need" is neutral, and "need not" seems more formal. "need not"/"needn't" can be used of verbs (like "tell" in your sentence), but it can't be used of nouns.

— Mr Wordy

  • In sentences like yours they mean the same thing.
  • "don't need" and "needn't" are conversational, "do not need" is neutral, and "need not" seems more formal.
  • "need not"/"needn't" can be used of verbs (like "tell" in your sentence), but it can't be used of nouns.
  • For example, "I don't need any money" is OK, but you can't say "I need not any money".
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2 Answers
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In sentences like yours they mean the same thing. "don't need" and "needn't" are conversational, "do not need" is neutral, and "need not" seems more formal.

"need not"/"needn't" can be used of verbs (like "tell" in your sentence), but it can't be used of nouns. For example, "I don't need any money" is OK, but you can't say "I need not any money".
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Mr Wordy"need not"/"needn't" can be used of verbs (like "tell" in your sentence), but it can't be used of nouns. For example, "I don't need any money" is OK, but you can't say "I need not any money".
Thanks. With whom "need not" can be used is very helpful. Learned a new thing. I perhaps would be using it with nouns also and getting embarrassed in the future b
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