Discussion Groups / English Usage / November 2006

Without sufficient context it's difficult to tell whether the
sentence should be "many books [Note the plural ending on that noun]
need to be read" or "there are many books (that) I need to read". As
it stands in your post, all versions are incorrect.

Dans son message précédent, newbie_tw@yahoo.com.tw a écrit :

I think it is not.

"Many books need to be read" seems better..

In my opinion, books can not read something. So it should be

Why are you confused? Did you not understand what the message
meant? did you think it possible the sender had books that could
read?

Are you looking for fully grammatical messages in instant
messaging?


  ************* DAVE HATUNEN (hatunen@cox.net) *************
   *       Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow         *
   * My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

No (as you apparently suspect).

The following could work:

"Many a book needs to be read" ...
"Many books need to be read" ...
"Many books need reading"...

All three examples mean the same thing. (In the first two offered,
"read" would be pronounced "red." The "red" pronunciation signals the
past tense.)

Good luck, and please be aware that many who write instant messages take
shortcuts; the messages are generally not necessarily grammatically
correct.

(Also note: "Are anyone able to give me advice?" should be "Is anyone
able to give me advice?"  "Anyone" is singular. Had you said, "Are the
people of AUE able to give me advice?" that would have been fine --
"people" is plural.)