Argthtjtr

"Need" is often used on living things, whereas "required" is often used on non-living things.

For example:

• I need a stereo for my car.


• My car requires a stereo.

But when it goes to "question", we often use "need" instead of "require"...I am not sure why this is happening as "question" should be obviously considered as a non-living thing. Therefore, I am wondering which one should be a better choice while writing an analytical essay.

Several questions need to be answered.

Several questions require to be answered.

There is no such usage rule; it doesn't matter if the subject is living or not.

For example, here are things and need:

That dish needs more salt.

Your walls need a fresh paint job.

The roads need to be salted.

Here are people and require:

I require that you put down your pens.

She is required to surrender herself to the police.

Do you require assistance?

Which word is used comes down to style, formality, and degree of obligation—as well as certain set phrases in certain contexts.

With the word question, either no other word needs to be used alongside it or you could also use more than just need or require:

Please answer the question.

It would be nice if you answered the question.

I am begging you to answer the question.

You must answer the question.

I demand you answer the question.

I need you to answer the question.

Answering the question is required.

Your first sentence is grammatical and natural:

✔ Several questions need to be answered.

Your second sentence is ungrammatical, but not because of the use of require. It's just the specific syntax it uses that's wrong:

✘ Several questions require to be answered.

→ ✔ Several questions are required to be answered.

→ ✔ Several questions require answers.

The facts of the matter are

1. that need and require are different verbs (even though they mean almost the same thing), and




2. that every verb has its own individual (and often quite peculiar) set of affordances and prohibitions.

In particular, need allows an infinitive object complement clause, either active or passive, with or without an overt subject

• 
  I need for you to tell Bill I'm coming back. (active, full for-to infinitive complement)


• 
  I need you to tell Bill I'm coming back. (for deleted, subject present)


• 
  I need to tell Bill I'm coming back. (for and subject deleted by Equi)


• 
  Bill needs to be told I'm coming back. (passive, for and indefinite subject deleted)

All of these sentences are grammatical with need. But not all with require.

(ungrammatical sentences are marked with an asterisk *)

• *I require for you to tell Bill I'm coming back.


• 
  I require you to tell Bill I'm coming back.


• *I require to tell Bill I'm coming back.
  


• *Bill requires to be told I'm coming back.

In other words, this is only about the two verbs need and require, and what kinds of constructions they allow. Not about what they mean, but about how they can be used, no matter what they mean.

"Several questions need to be answered." is a correct form. "To be answered" could be replaced by "answering" or, more directly "answers". But they all work.

On the other hand, "require to be answered" does not work. "Require answering" is also weak because questions require answers, not mumbling about things. Answers are different than answering. "Several questions require answers." This form matches the implications of the meaning of require.

The singular "an answer" make sense only if the various questions all elicit the same answer. More commonly, questions require answers.