Need + verb-ing

Finn
Where’s my script? Come on. This studio needs tidying!

Finn here with another BBC English Class. And did you hear what I just said? “This studio needs tidying”. Not I need to tidy this studio. Now, why did I say it the other way round? Let’s find out in 90 seconds.

In it goes. So, why did I say: “This studio needs tidying”? Well, this is a particular structure. Let’s give the structure a name. Let’s call it ‘Ken’. No, let’s call it need + verb-ing and we use it when something needs to be done but we don’t want to say the person who needs to do it. Because maybe it doesn’t matter. Or maybe we don’t know. Or maybe it’s more polite.

OK, let’s first… we’ll get there in a minute… let’s look at some examples first. For example:

This studio needs tidying
My hair needs cutting
My shirt needs washing

So, what do we do? We have first the noun - my shirt - then need or needs and finally the verb in the ing form - washing.

So, let’s give another example. For example, I’m your boss, you’re writing a report and I don’t want to say: “ You need to finish that report “ because it sounds a bit too direct. I can just say “ That report needs finishing “. See, it’s a little bit less bossy. And my shirt: as you know it stinks, so I could say… well let me just say: “ My shirt needs washing “. Because you know it doesn’t matter if I wash it or you wash it or if Ken washes it or whoever washes it. So there we are - 90 seconds. All that remains is to decide who needs to wash my shirt. I’m not doing it.