Sign inDare and Need for intermediate learners
'Dare' and 'need' have characteristics of both modal verbs and main verbs. Because of this, they are called semi-modals. In this lesson, we'll learn about them.
What Are Dare and Need?
'Dare' and 'need' both can be main verbs or semi-modal verbs in English. As a semi-modal, 'dare' is often followed by the base form of the verb and is used to form questions and negative statements. 'Need' as a semi-modal is often followed by 'to' and the base form of the verb.
Structure
As mentioned before, semi-modals are verbs that function similarly to modal verbs in English, but also have some characteristics of main verbs. 'Dare' and 'need' are two famous, common semi-modal verbs in English grammar.
As a modal verb, 'dare' is only used in negative statements and questions and the following verb must be in base form. Pay attention to the examples:
I
How
Even though the subject is third person singular 'she', the main verb remains in base form.
Warning!
Like modal verbs, semi-modals do not change form when using third-person singular pronouns.
As a main verb, 'dare' is used to express courage or audacity to do something. In this sense, it can be followed by an infinitive or a gerund. For example:
She
They
As you can see, an infinitive is used after 'dare'.
As a modal verb, 'need' is often followed by 'to' and the base form of the verb, and can be used to form questions and negative statements.
They
As a main verb, 'need' is used to express necessity or obligation. It is often followed by an infinitive or a gerund and can be used in different tenses and forms. For example:
I
She
Tip!
You can add an auxiliary verb to turn these sentences into negative statements. Look at the examples below:
I
Dare take me with you. →
This form is more common among native speakers.
Uses
Need
- To Force Someone or Be Forced to Do Something
- To Require Something
To Force Someone or to Be Forced to Do Something
One of the uses of 'need' is to show that something important must be done or when you are ordering someone to do an important task. Pay attention to the examples below:
I
They
Something
Sometimes 'need' is used to require something. Let us look at the following examples carefully:
I really
She
Dare
'Dare' also has two meanings and is used in two different contexts as listed below:
- To Be Brave Enough to Do Something
- To Challenge Someone, Especially in a Difficult Situation
To Be Brave Enough to Do Something
'Dare' is sometimes used to show how we are brave enough to do or not do something. Let us see some examples below:
I don't
She
To Challenge Someone, Especially in a Difficult Situation
Sometimes 'dare' is used to challenge someone and it is usually a difficult one. Study the examples below carefully:
I
We
Comments
You might also like
Must and Have to
'Have to' and 'must' have the same meaning and are used to express obligations. However, they are used in different situations and are not interchangeable.
Semi-modals
Semi-modals are the subcategory of modal verbs. So it is good to learn the difference between modal verbs and semi-modal verbs to use them properly.
Ought to and Had Better
'Ought to' and 'Had Better' are used for giving advice and recommendations. These are used differently and they can have different meanings. Start learning!
Used to
One of the functions of this expression is to talk about repeated actions in the past which we don't do in the present.
