OK, all you grammar experts...

[Tex111]

DH often uses the -ing form of words in a way that sounds odd to me. For instance, this morning he asked - 'Do you need anything ironing?' I would've said 'Do you need to iron anything?' Is his usage correct? Is there a name for this use of the -ing? I'm wondering because I notice that after fourteen years together I'm starting to do it too!

Out of curiosity, is it a regional thing? A class thing?

Sounds perfectly fine to me -- I think it may be a UK turn of phrase rather than an international one.

There is a difference in meaning between his version and yours: 'Do you need anything ironing' implies he's offering to do it for you, or get it done for you. 'Do you need to iron anything' implies it's down to you to get it done.

-ing is called the present continuous in EFL-speak, but actually covers a multitude of sins -- it can be part of a verb or a verbal noun, or even a verbal adjective.

I'd say that

in fact I'd say 'd'yer' instead of 'do you'

Should it not be "Do you need anything ironed?"

That's interesting frogs. I don't think I've heard anyone but DH use it that way but I probably just haven't noticed. Yes, verbal noun. I haven't heard of that before but it makes more sense if I think of it that way. Really interesting.

Hattie - my dh says that. "Do you need anything ironed?"
I'd say ironing.
Dh is a man of words, but not sure he's right or whether its colloquial differences.

Hattie, that does sound more 'correct' to my ear. I think it's the -ing that throws me. It sounds like an active verb but frog's explanation does make sense. I just wondered about the grammatical explanation and thought it might be a ghost from DH's father's upbringing in the North.

The really odd thing on my ear is any man offering to iron anything at all!! ~Inging or no inging, if he's ironing, I'd be delighted!

lol...lilwonder...mine does...ironing I mean!

wouldn't 'ironed' be past tense?

But don't you say

Do you want anything bought at the shops?

Do you want anything folded?

Do you want that written?

Or do i have terrible grammar?

It is a Northern phrase, definitely. Like "I couldn't be doing with that!" Southern would be "do you need anything ironed". Interesting that Hattie said "should it not be..." because that is a Northern inversion too, a Southerner would say "shouldn't it be..."

What a lovely DH though

o would say ironing too
northern thang

Some northerners would say 'shouldn't it be' too!

Ironed is definitely past tense.

Ironing is used a collective for clean washing that needs ironing.

Flipping doing my noddling in now!

What's ironing?

hahm rhis thread just showed me that me...mere german...really doesn't have to woryy...am rubbish at grammar...german or english....and learn a language by speaking rather then grammar...refreshing to see so many people have as much trouble as I have...in a positive way!

"This shirt needs to be ironed"
"This shirt needs ironing"

They're both correct, aren't they? I rpobably grew up using the first, but since living in scotland I think I use the second more.

Yer man's offering to iron and you query his grammar??

I wondered if the fact he was actually ironing would come up! LOL! Yes, us Texan women crack the whip at home. Took me 14 years to get him trained up though.

Wallace, that's a good comparison of the kind of phrase I mean. It sounds like they're both correct. Very relieved as I seem to be using the -ing more and more myself.