SOME OR ANY?
12 / 06 / 2012
SOME or ANY?: meaning and examples
Good morning,
Today we will look at another reader question, this time from Rita M. She wrote,
"In the Daily Vitamin from the 10th of May you use examples with so many, so much. In one example you write: 'There are so many tomatoes growing in my garden this year. Would you like to have some?'. Please, can you explain why you use some and not any in this case?"
Rita makes an excellent observation; she's correct...we usually use some for affirmative sentences and any for negative sentences and questions. But the example above is a question and we have used some! Why is this?
In this case, we are referring to a known quantity of something (i.e. tomatoes). We are offering something concrete. So, we use some, not any. In fact, we can use some whenever we want to offer something (an unspecified amount).
Would you like some coffee? (= I can offer you coffee because I have some in my kitchen.)
If we do not know if something exists, then we use any in the question:
Is there any coffee? (= I don't know if there is coffee.)
Have you got any coffee (= I don't know if you have coffee.)
Let's look at some more examples:
Example 1:
Mrs. Heddle: I've just baked a cake. Would you like some?
Mrs. Birch: Oh yes, thank you! That would be lovely! Have you got any tea?
Mrs. Heddle: I'm afraid not, but I do have coffee. Would you like some coffee?
Example 2:
Arnie: I have an extra box of pens but I only need a few of them. Do you want some?
Brett: I'll take two or three. Thanks, Arnie!
As you can see, we use some in questions when we are offering something.
Have a nice day!
Today we will look at another reader question, this time from Rita M. She wrote,
"In the Daily Vitamin from the 10th of May you use examples with so many, so much. In one example you write: 'There are so many tomatoes growing in my garden this year. Would you like to have some?'. Please, can you explain why you use some and not any in this case?"
Rita makes an excellent observation; she's correct...we usually use some for affirmative sentences and any for negative sentences and questions. But the example above is a question and we have used some! Why is this?
In this case, we are referring to a known quantity of something (i.e. tomatoes). We are offering something concrete. So, we use some, not any. In fact, we can use some whenever we want to offer something (an unspecified amount).
Would you like some coffee? (= I can offer you coffee because I have some in my kitchen.)
If we do not know if something exists, then we use any in the question:
Is there any coffee? (= I don't know if there is coffee.)
Have you got any coffee (= I don't know if you have coffee.)
Let's look at some more examples:
Example 1:
Mrs. Heddle: I've just baked a cake. Would you like some?
Mrs. Birch: Oh yes, thank you! That would be lovely! Have you got any tea?
Mrs. Heddle: I'm afraid not, but I do have coffee. Would you like some coffee?
Example 2:
Arnie: I have an extra box of pens but I only need a few of them. Do you want some?
Brett: I'll take two or three. Thanks, Arnie!
As you can see, we use some in questions when we are offering something.
Have a nice day!
