Using do not need and need not
Must / mustn’t / needn’t / do or doesn’t need to
You must do something – it is necessary that you do it
- You must get there on time or the bus will leave without you.
You mustn’t do something – it is necessary that you do not do it
- We mustn’t wake the neighbours.
You needn’t do something – it is not necessary that you do it, you do not need to do it
- You needn’t come out walking if you’re tired. (It is not necessary for you to come.)
Instead of ‘needn’t’ we can use ‘don’t / doesn’t need to’
You needn’t come if you don’t want to.
You don’t need to come if you don’t want to.
1. [Match]
Can you match up the examples of ‘needn’t’ and ‘do not need to’?
(To get the message – to understand something (also that has been implied discreetly)
To spell something out – to make something explicit.
)
Answers for Quiz [1].
- 1. – we’ll ‘phone Dave for a lift. (correct)
- 1. – we needn’t ask anyone else to help. (correct)
- 3. so I needn’t leave yet. (correct)
- 4. you needn’t catch the bus. (correct)
- 5. he doesn’t need to spell it out. (correct)
- 6. – you don’t need to help, thanks. (correct)
- 7. you’ll pass easily. (correct)