Some, Any and Related Issues

The following guidelines are also generally true for derivatives of some and any, e.g. anything, somewhere.

• some: affirmative phrases (I have some problems).

• some: offers (Would you like some coffee?), and requests when the expected answer is ‘yes’ (Could I have some milk please?).

• some: in negative phrases when the sense is ‘a few’ or ‘a little’: I didn’t understand some of what he said, but most of it made sense.

• any: negative phrases (I didn’t understand anything of what he said - he was incomprehensible).

• any: phrases and questions when you are not sure how the person will answer (If you have any problems, let me know. I know they are not in season but do you have any strawberries?) In the two examples, the writer / speaker doesn’t know if the listener will have problems or will have strawberries.

• When something and nothing are followed by an adjective no of is required: Do you have any of interesting to tell me?

• Use none not any at the beginning of a sentence when the sentence is negative (none of my teachers are good at their job - any of my teachers).

• Use no or not any but not not before a noun: we have no milk, we don’t have

any milk, we have not milk.