When to use SOME and ANY Learn English Grammar
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Hi everybody, my name is Alisha, and today
I’m going to talk about the difference between
“some” and “any.”
So let’s get started!
Okay, the first point I want to talk about
with “some” and “any” is how to use
“some” and “any” in terms of where
to put these two words in a sentence.
So we use “some” and “any” in the
same position in a sentence, we use “some”
and “any” before the noun or before a
noun phrase; so please be careful don’t use
“some” or “any” after the noun, you
should be using “some” and “any” before
the noun.
Okay, so given this, let’s take a look at
how to decide whether you should use “some”
or you should use “any” in your sentence.
All right, first, I want to talk about “some.”
We use “some” in positive statements,
so these are statements that do not have a
negative in them, we use them for positive
statements.
A few examples here are, I need some butter.
Here, “some” is before the noun.
In the next one, we have “some food.”
“Some” comes before the word “food,”
the noun, a positive statement.
Third, they had some good ideas.
So good ideas is used as a noun phrase here,
good ideas; “some” comes before that noun
phrase.
So these are a few examples of positive statements.
We can use “some” in positive statements,
that’s the first point I want to make.
The second point I want to make is here, it’s
about requests.
We use “some” in a couple of different
question patterns, one of them is making requests.
When we want to make requests we can use “some”
in the request, for example, can I have some
time off?
We use “some” here because it’s a request,
making a request to your boss, for example,,
in this case, we should use “some.”
Can I have some time off?
Second, will you give me some space?
Will you give me space?
This is another request, we can tell, will
you give me, this is a very good hint that
someone is asking for something else, a request
should use “some.”
Finally, can he take care of some things for
me?
Can he take care of some things for me?
In this case, it’s asking for someone’s help
in a situation, so it’s a request we should
use the word “some.”
Great!
Ok, so the second point I want to talk about
is using “some” for offers, to make offers
we should use “some.”
Again, offers, like requests, are a question,
this is a question pattern where we should
use the word “some” to make the question.
So in the first example, would you like some
wine?
We use “some” here in the pattern “would
you like,” this is a really good pattern to
know, would you like some bla bla bla?
Would you like some wine?
Would you like some beer?
Would you like some, a few other things we’ll
see in just a moment, but we should use “some”
here because it’s an offer-type question.
One more example, do you want some cheese?
So these two patterns, “would you like” and
“do you want,” they really are expressing
the same thing, the difference is in the level
of formality.
“Would you like” is more formal than “do you
want,” these two questions, really, they have
the same point; there’s they’re offering something,
but the level of formality is what’s different here.
Okay, last one.
Do you want some more time?
So here, again, an offer, a more casual offer
with “do you want.”
And again, we have “some” plus “more time.”
So please make sure to use “some” before
the noun or before the noun phrase and use
it in your offer questions as well as your
request questions.
So those are the two types of questions I
want to talk about today when we’re using
“some.”
Also, please remember we use it in positive
statements as well.
Okay, so with that let’s continue on to “any.”
I want to talk about “any” next.
“Any” is sort of the opposite in terms
of statement-making from “some,” we use
“any” in negative statements.
So for example, I don’t have any money.
Here, I have “don’t,” “do not,” the negative
here; I don’t have any money, therefore, is
correct, we should use “any” in a negative
statement.
Another example, they didn’t get any new clothes.
They “didn’t,” again, here’s our negative,
they “didn’t,” “did not,” so we should use
“any” before our noun phrase, which is
new clothes here.
Finally, we didn’t make any cookies.
Here “didn’t” is in the negative form again,
a past tense statement plus “any” before
our noun here, in this case, cookies.
So please use “any” when you want to make
a negative statement.
Ok, the last point I want to make today is
about questions.
We use “any” with questions, yes, but
we do not use “any” in requests and offers,
we just learned that we use “some” to
make requests and offers.
So in other questions, like information questions,
asking for information, not for a request,
not for an offer, but asking for information,
for example, we use “any” in these cases.
So let’s take a look the first sentence.
Do we need any salt?
So this is an information question, yes or
no, do we need any salt?
We should use this here.
This is not a request, this is not an offer,
so “any” is the best choice for this sentence.
In the next example we have, does he have
any markers?
Again, this is an information question, the
person speaking is asking for information,
not making a request and not making an offer,
so we should use “any” here.
Ok, so the final example here is, did she
give you any tips?
So our noun phrase here is “tips,” “any” comes
before that and we notice, also, this is not
a request, this is not an offer, so we should
use “any,” it’s an information question,
we’re asking for information.
So let’s keep this in mind, we use “any”
for questions which are not requests and not
offers, think about it as asking for information
only; you’re not making a request for help,
not making a request for an item, but if you’re
looking for information, you should probably
use “any” to make your question.
Okay, so let’s take a look at a few examples
sentences that I’ve prepared.
The first one here is, do we have _____ milk?
So here I’m looking for information, I’m not
making a request, I’m not making an offer,
I want information, so I should use “any”
in this case.
Do we have any milk is the correct sentence
here.
The next one.
Can I have _____ cake?
Here, I’m looking for something, I’m looking
for cake, I want cake, I’m making a request.
I know that requests are paired with “some,”
so I’m going to use “some” in this sentence.
Can I have some cake? is the correct sentence,
the correct question.
The next one.
I really need _________ money.
So, this is a statement, not a question, and
there’s no negative here, so we should use
the positive “some.”
I really need some money is the correct sentence
here.
All right, let’s take a look at the next sentence.
I don’t have _________ pets.
Here is a negative and we see this is not
a question, so we know we should use “any”
because we use “any” for negative statements,
this “don’t,” “do not” shows us that we should
use “any” here.
Okay, next one.
Do you want _________ pizza?
So here we have a question and it looks like
this is an offer, so there’s this “do you
want” pattern, which we talked about right
here, do you want.
So we should use “some,” this is an offer
question.
Do you want some pizza?
Making an offer, you should use “some.”
Next sentence.
Wanna get _________ food after work?
Again, we have a question and we have this
pattern “wanna get,” this is a very very casual
form of “do you want to get,” we’ve dropped
“do you want to” and we use the very casual
“wanna” here.
So it’s, again, an offer question.
Wanna get some food after work?
Okay, next sentence.
He doesn’t have _________ friends.
So a statement, yes, but we see a negative
here, “doesn’t” or “does not” is the negative
form, so we know that we should use “any”
in this pattern, in this sentence.
He doesn’t have any friends.
Okay, final question here, may be a difficult
one.
Are you sure you don’t want _________ dessert?
So this isn’t quite an offer, it’s like a
very very soft offer, yes, but this person
is sort of asking for information.
Are you sure you don’t want _________ dessert?
They’re asking for a yes or no kind of, and
there’s a negative here, there’s a negative
“don’t,” a “do not,” so it’s a good idea in
this sentence to use “any.”
Are you sure you don’t want any dessert?
This sounds a little bit negative.
Are you sure you don’t want any dessert?
If you want to make a straightforward offer,
like, would you like some dessert?
That’s okay, it sounds a little bit better
because there’s a negative here with “don’t”
to use “any” in this sentence.
This is a little bit tricky but I think it’s
I think it’s okay to use.
All right!
So those are a few basic points about when
to use “some” and when to use “any.”
Please remember “some” is used for positive
statements, requests, and offers.
“Any” is used for negative statements
and questions which are not requests or offers,
like information questions.
So I hope this video was helpful for you.
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