Need Doing vs. Need To Be Done
“Needs doing” and “needs to be done” can both say that an action is necessary for the subject. The second makes the passive form explicit.
In the passive-meaning pattern, “needs doing” and “needs to be done” can express the same necessity: something requires that action.
Key details
Further guidance
Boundary
This comparison is about a passive-meaning construction; it is different from personal “need to do,” where the subject is the doer.
Ing Pattern
In the passive-meaning pattern, need + -ing says that the subject requires an action, as in “The clothes need washing.”
Passive Infinitive
Need + to be + past participle can express the same necessity explicitly, as in “The clothes need to be washed.”
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Need — Cambridge Essential British English Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Documents needs doing and needs to be done as passive-meaning necessity patterns