When should I say "need" and "need to"?
What is the difference in the sentences :
"I did not need to go" and
"I need not have gone"?
What is the difference in the sentences :
"I did not need to go" and
"I need not have gone"?
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Need (to)
When should I say "need" and "need to"?
What is the difference in the sentences : "I did not need to go" and "I need not have gone"?
The first sentence:
"I did not need to go" Suggests, that the person did not go, they changed their mind about going. The second sentence: "I need not have gone" Suggests, that the person went along, but found out that they did not need to go. I think there may also be an explanation in present, future and past tenses. I have tried to give an explanation based on 'meaning', or rather than 'grammar'. So, this is quite an interesting example, of how grammar effects meaning. |