Rama Van Basten

American English menganggap need sebagai kata kerja biasa (American English) dan British English menganggap need sebagai kata kerja biasa dan Modal verbs. Karena Need bisa juga menjadi Modals, maka bentuk negatifnya adalah needn't, namun apabila berfungsi sebagai kata kerja, maka bentuk negatifnya adalah don't need, dst. Untuk lebih jelasnya, perhatikan penjelasan di bawah ini:

Need (Perlu)

• Children need a good balanced diet.
• I need some new winter shoes.
• Do we need anything from the shops?
• You need a lot of stamina to run that sort of distance.
• To make pastry, you need flour, fat and water.
• Will I be needed in the office tomorrow?
• I need you (=want you very much).
• I need (=very much want) you to advise me on what to wear tomorrow night.
• I badly need (=strongly want) a rest from all this.

Dalam British English, need bisa juga digunakan sebagai modal verb. Kalau sudah berfungsi sebagai modal verb, maka tidak ada penambahan "s" kalau berjumpa dengan He, She, It. Dan kalau berbentuk negatif, bentuknya menjadi needn't (Bukan do/does not need) dan dalam bentuk kalimat tanya, Need diletakkan di awal kalimat tanya:

• This is the only thing I/you/he/she/it/we/they need do.
• I/you/he/she/it/we/they needn't come tomorrow - it isn't necessary.
• Need I/you/he/she/it/we/they really do it?

Perhatikan perbedaan Need sebagai Kata Kerja biasa dan Modal Verb:

• You needn't come in to work today if you are feeling well. (Modal Verb)
• You don't need to work on weekends, because the office is closed. (Kata Kerja Biasa)

Needn't dipakai sebagai pengganti mustn't:

• You must bring calculator into the class.
• You needn't bring calculator into the class. (BUKAN: mustn't)