As an ordinary verb need is used in the sense of require. It has the usual forms needs and needed.

Ordinary need is followed by an infinitive with to.

One needs to be punctual. Everybody needs to be loved. He needed some more time to decide the question.

Questions and negatives are made with do.

Do you need to go now? I don't need to talk to him.

As an auxiliary verb The auxiliary form of need is used mainly in questions and negatives. It is also used after negative words like hardly and only.

You need not work today. Need I go now? Need we reserve seats? He need only say what he wants and it will be granted. I need hardly add that you are always welcome.

The auxiliary need is followed by an infinitive without to. It has no s in the third person singular.

He need not wait. (NOT He needs not wait.) You need not come.

Questions and negatives are made without do.

Need I come again? (NOT Do I need come again?)

Note that the auxiliary form of need is rare in American English.

Points to be noted

The auxiliary need is mainly used to ask for or give permission. It is not used to talk about habitual or general things.

You need not work today. (Auxiliary - Particular occasion) You don't need to work on Sundays. (Ordinary - habitual thing) You need not pay for this call. (Auxiliary - Particular occasion) In most countries, you don't need to pay for emergency calls. (Ordinary - general thing)

Need is usually used in questions without not.

Need I wait any longer? Need he come again?

If the answer is in the negative, you should say No, he need not or No, you need not. But if the answer is in the positive, you should say Yes, he must or Yes, you must. The opposite of need not in such a context is not need but must.
Need not + perfect infinitive

The structure need not + perfect infinitive can be used to say that somebody did something, but that was unnecessary.

They need not have come all this way. (= They came all this way, but it was not necessary.) We need not have waited for his approval. (= We waited for his approval, but that was not necessary.) You need not have bought a new car. You need not have paid for that call.

Note that need not have does not mean the same as did not need to. When we say that somebody did not need to do something, we are simply saying that it was not necessary (whether or not it was done). Compare:

I need not have bought it. (=I bought it, but it was not necessary.) I didn't need to buy it. (=It was not necessary for me to buy it.)

Need + participle

In British English it is possible to use an ing form after need. It means the same as a passive infinitive.

Your hair needs washing. (= Your hair needs to be washed.) The carpet needs cleaning. (= The carpet needs to be cleaned.) The roof needs repairing.

A structure with need + object + present/past participle is also possible in some cases.

You need your hair cutting/cut. You need your car cleaned.

- must not - prohibition (it is not allowed) - need not - option (it is not necessary)

Soccer Rules
Decide whether to use 'must not' or 'need not'. 1. The teams must notIt is not allowed. have more than 11 players on the field during a match. 2. But there need notIt is not necessary. (Some players might have been sent off by the referee.) even be 11 players playing for each team. 3. Players must notIt is not allowed. wear anything which might injure another player. 4. Players need notIt is not necessary. (They may also play the ball with their heads, knees etc.) play the ball with their feet only. 5. Substituted players must notIt is not allowed. return to the game. 6. Players must notSIt is not allowed. leave the game without the referee's permission. 7. Players must notIt is not allowed. hold an opponent. 8. The referee need notIt is not necessary. (It depends on how strict the referee is.) send a player off if he has committed foul play. 9. However, if a player is sent off during the game, he must notIt is not allowed. be replaced. 10. A period need notIt is not necessary. (The referee can decide to let the play go on for another couple of minutes.) be over after exactly 45 minutes.

Focus form 1 : Need not, Must Not

Need not + Verb 1 Do/does not have to Do/does not need to + Verb-1 Must not/must + Verb-1 Example : Remember that you need not understand every word you hear. You don't have to understand all the words i a text. Note: Both sentence means its not necessary to understand.