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"I need to be done by 3:00." Is that correct? In one episode on Modern Family, two men are repairing a fan together. Their dialogue is like this: "Let's do this." "OK. But I need to be done by 3:00. That's when my dad's picking me up." "If we are not done by 3:00, I'm gonna tie a noose on this thing." I'm really confused about this conversation. Shouldn't it be "I need it to be done by 3:00" and "if it is not done by 3:00" ?
Jun 17, 2019 2:55 AM
Answers · 2
The words are informal or casual, but still correct. Here, 'done' is being used as a synonym for 'finished'. "I need to be done by 3pm" = "I need to be finished by 3pm" "If we are not done by 3pm" = "If we are not finished by 3pm".
June 17, 2019
“we need to be done by 3:00” and “it need to be done by 3:00” are interchangeable. “We need to be done [fixing the fan] by 3:00”. “[Fixing the fan] needs to be done by 3:00”
June 17, 2019
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