A Need for vs. In Need of
How to use "a need for" and "in need of" correctlyThis is an entry on my list of Common Errors in English Usage. Visit the main page for direct links to additional entries.
Be sure not to confuse these expressions or their prepositions. “A need for” is a noun expression; “in need of” is an adjective expression:
a child with a need of attention
a child with a need for attention
a patient in need for immediate aid
a patient in need of immediate aid
Related Resources
Common Errors in English Usage: Errors in diction and idiom commonly made by native speakers of English
List of Common Errors in English Usage (PDF): Printable version of the complete list
Common Grammar Errors: A list of common errors in grammar (topics like subject-verb agreement and parallelism) as distinct from usage
List of Common Errors in English Usage: PDF version
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