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There are three major sentence patterns that we use with the verb “to need”. Remember that “need” can change depending on the tense of the sentence or the subject of a present tense sentence.
Subject + need + noun…
- I need some food.
- He needs a new pen.
- They need more time.
- I will need that book later.
- She went to the store because she needed milk.
- We are going to need more money.
Subject + need + infinitive…
Infinitive means “to + verb”.
- I need to talk to you.
- I need to buy a new jacket.
- She needs to study more.
- They will need to fill out this form when they arrive.
- She needed to go home because she was sick.
- She left because she needed to pick up her son from school.
Subject + need + somebody/something + infinitive…
- My daughter needs glue to do her school project.
- He needs me to stay late and help him finish the project.
- They need a knife to cut the cake.
- She needs me to help cook dinner.
- My boss needs me to take out our new client.
Add the word “not” to make a negative sentence.
- I do not need anybody to show me how to do it.
- She does not need us to tell her what to do.
- He doesn’t need more time.
- They didn’t need any help.
- We will not need more money.
- He isn’t going to need somebody to go with him.
Bonus Tips and Points
1. We cannot use the word “need” in any continuous form (verb-ing).
I am needing to rest.- I need to rest.
She is needing to eat.- She needs to eat.
2. We can talk about the future with the present tense form of “need”.
- I need your help tomorrow.
- I will need your help tomorrow.
- I am going to need your help tomorrow.
All three of these sentences have the same meaning.
3. Here are some commons questions.
- What do you need?
- Where do you need to go?
- What does he need to do?
- Why do you need this?
- Do you need a pen?
- Does she need money?
Real-World English Conversations
A) What do you need to do today?
B) I need to finish this report and reply to some emails.
A) Do you need me to help you?
B) No thanks. I can do it on my own.
A) Where do you need to go?
B) I need to go to the pharmacy. It will only take a second.
A) Do you need me to help you study?
B) Please! I really don’t understand this stuff.
A) I need you to help me with something.
B) Sure, mom. What do you need me to do?
A) I need you to take out the trash and organize the recycling.
Use these free English lessons to learn the most common sentence patterns in the English language. If you learn these sentences and questions, it will help you speak English well. Study the lessons thoroughly, practice making your own sentences, and come back to review often. If you do these three steps, your English speaking will improve quickly and you will be able to have natural English conversations.
English Sentence Patterns for Speaking Index
