Use of While, Used (to) Need, Dare

A.

While is used to mean –

1. During the time that, as long as;

            While he was sleeping, an enemy attached him.

            While there is life there is hope.

2. At the same time that;

            The girls sang while the boys played

            While he found fault, he also praised.

3. Whereas;

            While I have no money to spend, you have nothing to spend on.

            While this is true of some, it is not true of all.

B.

USED (TO) expresses a discontinued habit.

I used to live there when I was a boy.

C.

Nee, denoting necessity or obligation, can be conjugated with or without ‘do.’ When conjugated without ‘do’ it has no –s and –ed forms and is used with an infinitive  without to only in negative and interrogative sentences and in sentences that contain semi-negative words like ‘scarcely’ and ‘hardly’.

He need not go (=it is not necessary for him to go.)

Need I write to him?

I need hardly take his help.

When conjugated with ‘do’, need has the usual forms needs, needed and is used with a ‘to’ infinitive. It is commonly used in negatives and questions: it sometimes occurs in the affirmative also.

Do you need to go now?

I don’t need to meet him.

One needs to be careful.

Compare:

1. I didn’t need to buy it. (=It was not necessary for me to buy it and I didn’t buy it)

2. I needn’t have bought it. (=It was not necessary for me to buy it, but I bought it.)

D.

Dare (=be brave enough to), as distinct from the ordinary verb dare (=challenge), does not take –s in the third person singular present tense. It is generally used in negative and interrogative sentences. When conjugated without ‘do’, it is followed by an infinitive without ‘to’; when conjugated with ‘do’ it takes an infinitive with or without ‘to’ after it.

He dare not take such a step.

How dare you contradict me?

He dared not do it.

He doesn’t dare speak to me.

E.

Since, means –

1.         From and after the time when;

I have been in such a state since I saw you last.

Many things have happened since I left school.

I have never seen him since that unfortunate event occurred.

2.         Seeing that, in as much as.

Since you with it, it shall be done.

Since you will not work, you shall not eat.

Since that is the case, I shall excuse you.

F.

Either indicates a choice between two alternatives. Neither combines two negative ideas. Study the following examples:

• Which of these apples would you prefer? ~ I don’t want either, thanks.
• You can either have the $15 cotton top or the $17 cotton – and – polyester blouse. You can’t have both.
• Neither Richard nor Judy could come to the party.
• I want neither alcohol nor cigars for my birthday. Now that I’m fifty I must live a healthier life.
• I've known you for two years, but I haven’t met either of your two brothers yet. (OR: I’ve known you for two years, but I haven’t met either Francis or Damien yet.)
• Neither of my two brothers survived the war. Neither Francis, nor Damien.
• Which of these fur coats is your? ~ Neither (of the). That one’s mine.
• I can’t make it to the meeting on Tuesday ~ I can’t either.
• I don’t go mountain climbing and I don’t go mountain walking either. (Or: I don’t go mountain climbing and neither do I go mountain walking.
• Neither of them is coming. They both have to work next weekend.
• Neither of them is coming. They both have to work next weekend.
• Which of these umbrellas is yours? ~ Neither of them is. That one’s mine.