Need to do vs. need do?

[Torsten]

Hi,

Is there a difference in 'need to do' vs. 'need do'? I usually say 'need to do' rather than 'need do' but I've recently been listening to an audio program by James Fleet and he constantly says 'need do'.

So what do you think?
Thanks,
Torsten

TOEIC listening, photographs: A mountain village

[Alan]

Hi Torsten,

I must admit that 'need do' is a new one on me. I only know 'need' without 'to' in the negative as in: I needn't do.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Minh]

Hi Torsen and Alan,

In American spoken English language, when there is a plan to go to a special place such as a Las Vegas city or a carnival voyage. There are always some do's and don't's lists. When an author says like here or this is what you need "do" in ... S/he gives you a suguestion to be followed in order to save your money or for your own good.

"Need to do" is a necessary to perform something.

Minh

[Esl_Expert]

Hello Torsten,

I'd say much of the surviving usage of "need do" would be as a sort of idiom in combination with the word "all" this way:

"All I/you/he/she/we/they need do is X."

Structurally, you would have to use the third person singular form "needs" if you used "to do" instead of just "do" in the sentence:

"All he/she needs to do is X."
"All I/you/we/they need to do is X."

I see no difference in meaning in the sentences above.