Communities

Writing
Writing
Codidact Meta
Codidact Meta
The Great Outdoors
The Great Outdoors
Photography & Video
Photography & Video
Scientific Speculation
Scientific Speculation
Cooking
Cooking
Electrical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Judaism
Judaism
Languages & Linguistics
Languages & Linguistics
Software Development
Software Development
Mathematics
Mathematics
Christianity
Christianity
Code Golf
Code Golf
Music
Music
Physics
Physics
Linux Systems
Linux Systems
Power Users
Power Users
Tabletop RPGs
Tabletop RPGs
Community Proposals
Community Proposals
tag:snake search within a tag
answers:0 unanswered questions
user:xxxx search by author id
score:0.5 posts with 0.5+ score
"snake oil" exact phrase
votes:4 posts with 4+ votes
created:<1w created < 1 week ago
post_type:xxxx type of post
Search help
Notifications
Mark all as read See all your notifications »
Q&A

Post History

87%
+12 −0
Q&A What is the origin of the missing "to be" in sentences like "the car needs washed"?

I grew up in western Pennsylvania (US), where constructs like "the car needs washed" are common. I was taught (yes, in schools in that region) that correct formal grammar requires "to be" in this ...

1 answer  ·  posted 3y ago by Monica Cellio‭  ·  last activity 3y ago by Jirka Hanika‭

#5: Nominated for promotion by user avatar Moshi‭ · 2022-12-03T11:11:14Z (over 1 year ago)
#4: Nominated for promotion by user avatar Moshi‭ · 2021-10-27T01:25:48Z (over 2 years ago)
#3: Nominated for promotion by user avatar Moshi‭ · 2021-05-02T20:45:59Z (almost 3 years ago)
#2: Nominated for promotion by user avatar Moshi‭ · 2021-03-05T20:53:50Z (about 3 years ago)
#1: Initial revision by user avatar Monica Cellio‭ · 2021-03-05T03:41:54Z (about 3 years ago)
What is the origin of the missing "to be" in sentences like "the car needs washed"?
I grew up in western Pennsylvania (US), where constructs like "the car needs washed" are common.  I was taught (yes, in schools in that region) that correct formal grammar requires "to be" in this case: 'the care needs **to be** washed", and this is what I understand to be normative.  (It's certainly what I say and write, despite growing up in a region averse to "to be".)

What is the origin of this construct?  I've heard it described as "Appalachian English", which is consistent with central and western Pennsylvania.  I've heard that this form also arises in Scottish English and western Pennsylvania had significant Scottish immigration in the late 19th century.  I've also heard claims of German influence, which is consistent with *central* Pennsylvania immigration history.  Multiple origins and parallel development are, of course, possible.

What is known about the history of this construct in western and central Pennsylvania?  Where did it come from and when, and how far did it spread?  "Appalachian" covers a larger area than just parts of Pennsylvania, after all.