Needn't have and didn't need to
Needn't have + past participle says that someone did something, but it was not necessary.
I needn't have made so much food for the party. Nobody was very hungry.(= It was not necessary to make so much food, but I did.) I needn't have told Kate what happened. She already knew. (= It was not necessary to tell Kate, but I did.)
Didn't need to + infinitive says that something was not necessary (but it does not say if someone did it or not). Compare:
| She needn't have waited. (= It was not necessary to wait, but she did.) | She didn't need to wait. (= It was not necessary to wait; we don't know if she did or not.) |
| They needn't have worried. (= It was not necessary to worry, but they did.) | They didn't need to worry. (= It was not necessary to worry; we don't know if they did or not.) |
When we use didn't need to, it often means that someone did not do something (because it was not necessary).
I didn't need to unlock the door because it
was already unlocked.
I didn't need to write to you so I phoned you
instead.
But we can also use didn't need to (with stress on need) when something was not necessary but someone did it.
I didn't 'need to write to you, but I wrote to you anyway.
Activities
/. Respond using needn't have done/could have done.
A: You sent the sheets to the laundry, I suppose? (wash
them myself)
B: No, I washed them myself. C: You needn't have washed them yourself. You. could have
sent them to the laundry.
1. You went by taxi, I suppose? (take a bus)
2. You went by bus, I suppose? (walk)
3. You took the lift, I suppose? (walk up the stairs)
4. You phoned him, I suppose? (write)
5. You got the tube tickets from a machine, I suppose? (stand in a queue)
6. You borrowed the books, I suppose? (buy)
7. You asked the shop to send the parcels home, I suppose? (carry them)
8. You painted the car yourself, I suppose?(have it sprayed)
9. You sewed it by hand, I suppose? (use the machine)
10. You walked up the ski-slope, I suppose? (take the ski-lift)
11. You paid by cheque, I suppose? (pay by cash)
12. You dialled the Paris number direct, I suppose? (ask the exchange to get)
13. You replaced the bulb yourself, I suppose? (send for the electrician)
14. When the curtain caught fire you put it out yourself, I suppose? (ring for the Fire Brigade)
15. You covered the grand piano with a sheet before you painted the ceiling, I suppose? (moved it out of the room)
16. You went second class, I suppose? (go first class)
17. You left your heavy case at the station, I suppose? (take it with me)
18. As you needed a copy you used a carbon, I suppose? (type it twice)
//. Complete the sentences using needn't have where possible. If needn't have is not possible, use didn't need to.
I. 'Did you water the garden?' 'Yes, but I... (do) it. Just after I'd finished it started to rain!' 2.1 didn't wear my coat when I went out. I... (wear) it. It wasn't cold. 3. He was very anxious before the exam, but he ... (worry). It wasn't as difficult as he'd expected. 4. She ... (pay) the man, but she gave him some money anyway. 5. She ... (pay) the man, so she didn't give him any money. 6. Thank you very much for the flowers, but you really ... (buy) them for me. 7. I ... (phone) the plumber. I learnt later that John had already phoned him. 8. You ... (bring) your umbrella after all. It hasn't rained. 9. The forecast was for fine weather so I knew I ... (bring) my umbrella. 10. I ... (wash) these clothes. I didn't know they had already been washed.
II. I ... (cook) a meal last night because we went out and the food I prepared was uneaten. 12. She had rich parents, and she ... (work) for a living and spent her time travelling. 13. She knew that the exam would be easy, and as she ... (worry) she was very relaxed. 14. He bought a loaf of bread, but he ... (buy) one because his wife had already bought one. 15. They ... (pay) for their son on the train because he was only two years old. 16. Brian had no money, so he sold his car. A few days later he won a lot of money in a competition. He ... (sell) his car. 17. Jack was very angry with Jill and threw a book at her. Later Jill said, 'I know you were very angry but you ... (throw) the book at me.'
HI. Complete this text using needn't have or didn't need to.
1. I ... (take) a taxi to the station because Mr Peters took me there in his car. We were held up in a traffic jam and I thought we would miss the train, but we ... (worry) because it was half an hour late anyway. There was a restaurant car on the train but I... (have) a meal because I had had a good breakfast. I ... (take) any luggage with me because I was coming back the same day. I took a book to read but I ... (bother) because I didn't even open it. The firm had booked a seat for me but they ... (do) so because the train was half empty. When I got to the meeting they told me I... (come) because the matter had already been dealt with. That night, when I got home I found no key, but I ... (wake) my wife because she was still up.