Grammar-Quizzes › Noun Phrases › Determiners › Quantifier › Some vs. Any
Some vs. Any
Refer to an indefinite quantity or number
Some vs. Any
| SOME |
|---|
Use some with a count or a noncount noun to indicate an indefinite quantity. |
| A POSITIVE SENTENCE |
Some food is in the refrigerator. (noncount) |
Some grapes are in the refrigerator. (count) |
Is some food in the refrigerator? (noncount) |
Are some grapes in the refrigerator? (count) |
|
| ANY |
|---|
In general, use any after a negative verb or expression of doubt. Any (any milk) cannot be used at the beginning of the sentence. |
| A NEGATIVE SENTENCE |
*Any milk is in the refrigerator. Any milk in the refrigerator? (informal question) |
There isn't any milk in the refrigerator. (NC) There is no milk in the refrigerator. |
I doubt (that) any milk is in the refrigerator. (NC) I believe there is no milk in the refrigerator. |
There aren't any snacks in the refrigerator. (C) There are no snacks in the refrigerator. |
Are there any snacks in the refrigerator? (C) Are there no snacks in the refrigerator? |
noncount noun (NC) / count noun (C) See count / noncount for details.
Any milk (any other kind or type) is better than this milk.
Exceptional usage of no, none and nothing: I didn't say I wanted no sugar. ("zero") On the contrary, I want some sugar. See Positive & Negative Polarity.
*Yellow highlighted words are examples of incorrect usage.
Any (Polarity)
In negative environments
Any in negative clause environments
| NEGATIVE WORDS |
|---|
Any occurs in negative environments: after negative verbs (don't have), negative determiners (no, not) or negative adverbs (never, seldom). See polarity¹. |
| NEGATIVE VERBS |
I do not have any tea. I haven't made any tea. |
We won't be serving any tea. We haven't been offerred any cookies, have we? (positive tag question) |
| NEGATIVE DETERMINERS |
No visitor wants tea. No one wants any tea. |
Not one of shops has any tea. Some tea is better than not any tea. ("zero") |
| NEGATIVE ADVERBS |
That shop seldom has any tea. (negative adverb) That shop rarely has any tea. |
That shop hardly ever has any tea. That shop never has any tea. |
| NEGATIVE VERB MEANINGS AND EXPRESSIONS |
|---|
Any occurs in negative environments: after verbs with negative meanings and after clauses expressing doubt or negativity. |
| NEGATIVE VERB MEANINGS |
He hates any kind of tea. He hates some varieties of tea but not others. (partial) |
He refused any more tea. ~He refused some more tea. (partial) |
| NEGATIVE IN MAIN CLAUSE + THAT CLAUSE |
I don't think that any tea is left. I doubt that there is any tea here. |
I can hardly believe that any tea is left. He's uncertain that anything can be done. |
| NEGATIVE IT / THERE CLAUSE |
It's unlikely that any tea is left. It's useless to ask if there is any tea is left. |
There's little point in asking for any more. There is no truth to the rumor that any of us stole the teapot. |
¹polarity—some words occur only in negative or only in positive environments. Some is positively-oriented, occurring in neutral environments. Any is negatively-oriented, occurring in negative environments (negative verbs). One way to test a clause for polarity is by adding a tag question, for example, You have some money, don't you? (The main clause is positive; the tag question is negative.) You don't have any money, do you? (The main clause is negative; its tag question is positive.) See tests for polarity in Cambridge Grammar of English Language 9 §1.1.
Negative polarity sensitive words occur in negative environments: any, anybody, any longer, any more, anyone, anything, anywhere, at all, either, ever, long, much, until, too, yet.
See Negatives (verbs, determiners and word forms). (Huddleston 8 § 14.1.2, , 9 § 4.3 [b]); 10 § 4.7.4 polarity-sensitve items)
Also see Too v. Either—Polarity.
Some vs. Any
Interpreting an Offer / Request
A Question with Some vs. Any
| SOME |
|---|
When some is used when making an offer, the offer is more convincing or sincere. |
| CONFIDENT OFFER |
Would you like some coffee? (I already have some coffee made. / I don't mind making more. / I'm about to make some and have a sufficient amount for you.) Would you like no coffee but only milk? |
Would you like some more coffee? |
| CONFIDENT REQUEST |
May I have some more sugar, please? (Speaker is confident there is sugar) May I have no sugar in mine, please. |
| ANY |
|---|
When using any in a question, the person offering is doubtful or hesitant: the expected answer is "no". |
| DOUBTFUL OFFER |
Would you like any coffee? (You probably have already had some. / You probably don't.) |
Would you like any more coffee? (You probably don't / I hope you don't because I don't have any more.) |
| DOUBTFUL REQUEST |
Is there any more sugar? (Speaker is doubtful there is sugar.) Is there no more sugar? (Speaker believes sugar supply is gone.) |
An Offer You Can Refuse
| A "SOME" OFFER |
|---|
When an offer is made using "some", the speaker is thinking or hoping you will answer – "yes". It is a sincere offer. |
| ACCEPT THIS OFFER |
JANE: Would you like some pie? |
ANNE: Yes, please. / No, thank you. |
JANE: Are you sure you wouldn't like some pie? |
ANNE: Yes, please. (or) No, thank you. |
| AN "ANY" OFFER |
|---|
When an offer is made using "any", the speaker is thinking (possibly hoping) you will answer – "no". It is an offer that needs to be repeated twice to be sincere. |
| DECLINE THIS OFFER |
JACK: Would you like any pie? (I think you might not.) |
DAVE: No, thank you. / Perhaps, later. (A guest is more likely to answer "no".) |
JACK: Are you sure you wouldn't like some pie? I have plenty. |
DAVE: Well, on second thought. I would like a piece. Thank you. |
Also see Positive and Negative Polarity—normal and exceptional negatives (none / any)
Some / Any
With a Noun
Some + Noun /Any + Noun
| SOME + Singular Noun | |
|---|---|
Some + a singular noun may be an indefinite pronoun, a quantifier + a noun, or an adverb. (See examples in the next table.) |
|
somebody |
something |
some day (two words) |
sometime |
some more (two words) |
some way (two words) |
someone |
somewhere |
somehow |
|
| ANY + Singular Noun | |
|---|---|
Any + a singular noun may be an indefinite pronoun, a quantifier + a noun, or an adverb. . We use any |
|
anybody |
anything |
any day (two words) |
any time (two words) |
any more (two words) |
any way (two words) |
anyone |
anywhere (any place) |
|
|
| INDEFINITE PRONOUN | QUANTIFIER + NOUN | ADVERB |
|---|---|---|
An unknown noun… |
A quantity… (allows the insertion of an adjective) |
Frequency, manner, stance |
Anyone can come with us. (an unlimited number of persons) |
Any (clever) one can come with us. (an unspecified person) |
|
You can come with us sometime in the future. "at an indefinite or unstated time in the future" |
The trip will take some (long) time. (a period of time) |
You can come with us sometimes. (occasionally, now and then) |
|
You can't have any more¹. |
You can't come with us anymore. (no longer) |
You created something beautiful. (unknown) |
You created some (beautiful) things. |
|
|
You go any (particular) way you want. (choose one way) |
You an go anyway even if you aren't supposed to. (regardless, contrary to expectation) |
|
Some (unknown) way will take you there. |
We'll get there someway. (in some manner) |
Anywhere is better than here.
|
Any (other) place is better than here. |
Is it anywhere near the correct number? |
anymore — ¹I want more. (N) / I want more (Adj) cookies.
Other expressions —He is something of a gourmet. Something strange is happening. (something + adjective)
(Garner 53 anymore)
Some
A Vague One
An Unknown Quantity vs. A Vague Noun
| AN UNKNOWN QUANTITY |
|---|
We use some + plural noun to talk about an unspecific quantity. "We don't know how many or how much." |
Some people are knocking at the door. (I don't know how many.) |
He is talking about some political causes. |
She is dating some guys. |
They left some cheese in the refrigerator. (I don't know how much.) |
| AN UNKNOWN NOUN (A VAGUE ONE) |
|---|
We use some + singular noun for an unknown person or thing that we don't want to specify, or we wish to be vague. "We don't want t) say which one." |
Some person is knocking at the door. (an unknown person; I don't know who it is.) |
He is talking about some political cause. ( an unknown cause; I don't know what it is.) |
Lady GaGa is dating some guy. (I know the guy, but I don't want to name him.) |
They left some cheese in the refrigerator. (I don't know what kind it is.) |
be vague (Adj) – be unclear or not giving detailed information on purpose
Common Mistakes
Errors and Solutions
Error and Solution
| ERROR |
|---|
*For some reasons, I lost the tennis match. |
*My keys are some wheres here. |
We haven't had some rain for quite a while. |
Not anybody would wear that! |
| SOLUTION |
|---|
For some reason, I lost the tennis match. Use some reason – indefinite. |
My keys are here some where. Write some where as two words. |
We haven't had some rain. (a little) |
Nobody would wear that! (no one at all) |
Practice
A Box of Chocolates
Decide whether the sentence needs the quantifier some, any or no article.
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Practice 2
Flash Mob
Read for Errors
Some thing is happening this weekend. Someone told us to expect some big thing. Somewhere in our city will be a flash mob. It is expected to form some times around noon. Some music will begin playing and someone will start to dance. Other people will join in the dancing someplace in the background.
Anyone can join in the dancing even if they don't know the dance steps. The grand finale will include anywheres between eighty and one hundred participants. One by one, the dancers will leave until there isn't someone on the floor. And anybody will pick up the boom box and walk away quietly as if nothing happened.
Correct or Incorrect?
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Practice 3
A Vague One
Read for Errors
Someguy is claiming that he can fix the economy. He has some plan that is supposed to improve everything. For some reasons, people believe him. He is tall and handsome, but has any charisma. Yet so far he hasn't given some details about some of his policies.
He needs to reveal somethings about his ideas. Nobody wants to vote for somebody with no plan. He has a way to go before someone can consider him seriously.
charisma (N) – a personal quality that gives an individual influence or authority over large numbers of people; attractiveness
has a way to go (expression) – requires more work for progress; "has a long road ahead"
reveal (V) – make known, disclose, show to the public
vague (Adj) –indefinite or indistinct in nature or character; not clearly or explicitly stated or expressed: vague promises. unclear promises
Edit for errors
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