I knew I would not be disappointed in my request for an answer to what was wrong with the sentence “None of them needs ever work again”, written in the Sunday Times about the three young (and very rich) stars of the Harry Potter films.

One reader, whose name I omitted to ask, called to tell me of the answer supplied by H. W. Fowler in Modern English Usage. The insertion of to is necessary before work because “while needs and needed are ordinary verbs followed by infinitive with to, the abnormal need is treated as a mere auxiliary, like must, requiring no to”.

Glynis Baguley introduced me to the term ‘modal verb’. She emailed: “Need sometimes behaves as a modal verb and sometimes as a non-modal one. Modal verbs, such as can, will, might, don’t need a to when followed by another verb, cf. They will work and They want to work. The example you cite is a clumsy mix of the two usages.”

Ms Baguley told me her mother would be “chuffed to bits” to see her name printed here. I hope mum is even more chuffed (more than to bits!) when I wish her a happy 86th birthday for tomorrow.