Why is “to be” disappearing?

[Sportsnight]

As in:

“That cupboard needs cleared” or “the kids need picked up”

I’ve seen it on threads before, but I’m hearing it more and more in conversation.

Why? To me it makes less sense, but as it’s quite widespread is there a reason behind it?

[pigsDOfly]

Yes, the reason behind it is that a lot of people's speech is becoming sloppy and lazy.

[avocadochocolate]

Isn't it just an organic change, probably influenced by US English??? The language is changing all the time.

[PolkadotLollipop]

I hate it too.

[flowery]

Isn’t it regional? Scotland?

[Pipandmum]

Haven’t noticed it myself.

[PolkadotLollipop]

I don’t hear it in RL but on MN it seems to have taken over as the preferred style.

[dudsville]

Random to say it's linked in anyway to the US. I've only ever heard it on mn. I presumed it was regional.

[DrinkSangriaInThePark]

Nobody uses it in Ireland but I've seen it a lot on here by English people.

Hate it!

[fluffiphlox]

I see it on here but nobody I know says “needS sold” etc. I dislike it too.

[pigsDOfly]

Actually, thinking about it, I've only ever seen it on MN.

[FredaFrogspawn]

‘She needs fetching’ is ok but ‘she needs fetched’ isn’t because (I think) fetching here is a gerund- so - who is doing the fetching tonight? - creates a noun out of the verb, like shopping - the shopping is good here, or camping - the camping was wonderful. Fetched is a past participle being used as part of a subjunctive and therefore needs a ‘to be’ before it. I think.

[wheresmymojo]

I don't hear it in RL in Hampshire but I have in my home town (Stoke). Perhaps its regional?

I'm pretty sure it's always been a thing in Stoke dialect...

[PlatoAteMySnozcumber]

I have never heard anyone say it in real life and have only ever seen it on here. I assumed it was some kind of regional thing. I am pretty certain it isn’t American as have never heard an American say it.

It irritates the life out of me though.

[Caribbeanescape]

I’ve never heard it, but I’ve seen it a lot on Mumsnet. I don’t like it at all.

[WantLifeToBeBetter]

It's regional, isn't it? My brother lives in NI and he's started saying it over the years. I don't hear people in London saying it.

[SunshineStarlet]

I see it on Facebook marketplace frequently “needs gone ASAP”.

I don’t understand the ‘s’ or the the actual sentence. You post something for sale at a price with the statement “needs gone” just baffles me. It reads poorly and comes across rude, imo.

[RedSheep73]

I don't hear it round here, not with the past tense. Kids need picking up, yes, informally.

[ncqtime]

Urgh. 'Needs done' is one I see written a lot on local Facebook, as in 'my garden needs done'.
'I've done' is another horrid local one, which in fact I've heard my kids come out with.
'You've done what?'
'I've finished'
'Ohhhhhhh...'

[wikowiko]

I'm Scottish and have always used this. English people pick up on it as being odd to them. On MN it might just be written shorthand and not necessarily something people do out loud though. Or there are more Scots here than you think

[WantLifeToBeBetter]

I quite like it tbh.

[ZaZathecat]

Scottish I think. At least it's not ONLY American slang that's affecting the language!

[ErrolTheDragon]

I thought this type of ungrammatical shortening started with some of those supposedly cute cat memes.

[MeltedCrayons]

Other examples: (to)

I need go Asda

Let's go Tesco instead

[WantLifeToBeBetter]

I think the "let's go Tesco" example (which I do hear from kids in London) is different to the "the cupboards need cleaned" one, isn't it?

Unfortunately I missed out on grammar lessons at school so I can't express exactly why

[SenecaFalls]

Isn't it just an organic change, probably influenced by US English???

It's not American.