Some pronouns are more common, some less common. Here some, any and no are some of the most used and complex ones. After all, each of them forms a variety of word forms that are used in different types of sentences with the same meanings, but they do not replace each other. How to understand and remember everything?
This topic is easy to understand, if you learn everything in a complex, disassemble each form into bones. Let's first see which group we will include them in? to indefinite pronouns. Any, no, some or their derivatives do not express someone or something specific, known, precise. In Russian, they sound like “something”, “someone”, “no one”, “nothing” and so on.
Using some, any, no in a sentence
To understand how the derivative indefinite pronouns, which we will discuss below, are used, it is necessary to master the basics. The rules are very simple.
1. Some and any in English can act as nouns or adjectives. In the first case, they are used independently, and in the second, they are accompanied by a noun. Another point - they have different meanings, which we will consider in the table. Some is used in affirmative sentences. any- negative, interrogative and conditional.
He asked if I had any interesting DVD disks. - He asked if I had any interesting CDs. (Conditional, as an adjective)
I didn't buy matches. Have you got any? I didn't buy matches. Do you have several? (Interrogative as a noun)
The buyers want to get some models of our dresses, we send them some. — Customers want to see several models of our dresses. We sent them a few. (Affirmative, like a noun)
I have somecups. Do you need? — I have several cups. You need? (Affirmative, like an adjective)
Some |
Any |
| Meaning: several, some, some, before countable | |
| v affirmative proposals | , conditional sentences |
| He gave me some cigarettes. He gave me some cigarettes. | She didn't make any mistakes. She didn't make any mistakes. |
| Some trees were planted yesterday. Several trees were planted yesterday. | |
| Some people like tea, some don't like tea. Some people like tea, some don't. | |
| Meaning: a certain amount, a little, some (usually not translated into Russian) | |
| v affirmative proposals | negative, interrogative, conditional sentences before uncountable nouns |
| Give me some salt, please. Give me salt, please. | I don't have any ink. — I don't have ink. |
| I need some milk from you. Please give me some. - I need milk. Give me please. | There is no water in my glass. Have you got any? There is no milk in my glass. You have? |
| Meaning: some | |
| in special questions, in general questions, if a request is made, something is offered | |
| Why didn't you buy some bread? Why didn't you buy bread? | |
| Can I take some warm water? — May I have some warm water? | |
| Will you have some coffee? - Would you like coffee? | |
| Meaning: some of - part | |
| before uncountable nouns | |
| Some of the crop was damaged by rain. Part of the crop was damaged by rain. | |
| Meaning: any, anyone | |
| in affirmative and interrogative sentences with countable in units. number and uncountable | |
| I may go out at any time that is convenient to me. “I can leave at any time convenient for me. | |
So, we got acquainted with the use of the basis. The main thing to remember is that some is more often used in affirmative statements, and any is used in negative and interrogative ones. In order not to get confused in the meanings, look at the meaning of the sentence. Usually it is not difficult if you clearly know the purpose of each.
2. C pronoun no a little easier. It is used as an adjective before nouns in both the singular and the plural. If there is no in the sentence, then there should be no other negation. On its own, no is not used (none instead). Note that after it the noun is used without the article. Also, this pronoun is often used in front of the subject to enhance - not one, none, none.
I have no bag (= I haven't a bag). - I don't have a bag.
We had no time. We didn't have time.
Is there a theater in your town? — No, there is none. — There is a theater in your city. - Not.
No girl has been there yet. “Not a single girl has been here yet.
Any, some, no + body
Anybody, somebody, nobody/ anyone, someone, no one (there is no difference in meaning) are used as nouns and are translated someone, anyone, nobody, none, in other words, replace animate noun. All other usage is according to the basics described above. Anybody in negative sentences is translated - no one, no one, and sentences with nobody in Russian have two negatives.
Somebody is waiting for you. “Someone is waiting for you.
Is anyone at home? — There isn't anybody at home. - Is anybody home? - Nobody is at home.
Nobody called him yesterday. Nobody called him yesterday.
Any, some, no + thing
Anything, something, nothing also perform the function of a noun, but describe an inanimate object - something, anything. Anything in negatives is translated as nothing, and sentences with nothing in Russian have two negatives.
Something has fallen. - Something fell.
Is there anything in the envelope? — Is there anything in the envelope?
Nothing was done. “Nothing has been done.
Any, some, no + where
Thus adverbs are formed - somewhere, somewhere, somewhere, nowhere, nowhere. All usage according to the keywords some, any, no.
Is she going anywhere? Is she going somewhere?
Tomorrow I will fly somewhere with my boss. — Tomorrow I will fly somewhere with the boss.
Where did you go? — Nowhere. - Where did you go. Nowhere.
Some and any + of
Using these pronouns with of, we mean the meaning - someone or something from, that is, a part of the whole. It is worth noting that nobody, no one, anybody, anyone are not used with of. In the first two cases, they are replaced by none, and in the second - any of in the value of any of. Instead of somebody used one of.
One of you should tell the truth. One of you must tell the truth.
Some of my friends speak English. Some of my friends speak English.
Any of us can go there. Any of us can go there.
None of them came to me after the accident. None of them came to me after the accident.
A couple more secrets!
- Acting as the subject (they come first), nobody, no one, nothing, anyone, anyone, anything, somebody, something require after themselves a verb in the 3rd person singular.
- Often after these derived pronouns is used else- more: anything else - anything else?
- nobody, anybody, somebody, someone is sometimes met with possessive: somebody's hat -someone's hat.
In order for everything to be firmly postponed, remembered, it is necessary to do exercises that will facilitate your path along English grammar. The rule is not complicated, the main thing is to understand: carefully look at the type of sentence, think about what or whom you want to say (animate or inanimate), before which member of the sentence. Read the article again and move on to the exercises.
When is a an some used in English?
- The use of some. Some translates as several, few, some. The pronoun some is used: with uncountable (which cannot be counted) English nouns meaning a little There is some pure water in the bottle. There's a little in the bottle clean water. with countable (which can be counted) plural nouns meaning a few or some Some students prepared interesting reports. Several students (some students) prepared interesting reports. with countable English nouns in the singular in the meaning of some Some girl has just called you. Some girl just called you. Some and its derivatives (see table below) are most often used in affirmative sentences. However, they can also be used in interrogative structures: to express a request or suggestion Would you like something to drink? Will you drink? Can I have some warm milk? - Can I have some warm milk? when we assume an affirmative answer to our question. Are you doing something at the moment? Are you busy with something right now? Some can be used with the preposition of to mean some of. But after the preposition, the noun must be preceded by either a definite article or a demonstrative or possessive pronoun. Some of my relations live in Brest. Some of my relatives live in Brest. Some of the girls were not properly dressed. Some of the girls were not well dressed. Let's summarize the table: Usage pronouns Any Any and its derivatives are used mainly in negative and interrogative sentences: Im glad that you havent any problems with your studies. I'm glad you don't have any problems with your studies. Has anyone called me? Did anyone call me? Any and its derivatives can also be used in affirmative constructions in the following situations: in the meaning of any, anyone, anything, anywhere, etc. Anyone can tell you her name. Anyone can tell you her name. You may use anything you need. You can use whatever you need. v subordinate clauses after if. I wonder if they found anybody there. I wonder if they found anyone there. Let me know if you have any trouble. If there are any problems let me know. after following words, which have a negative meaning: Hardly Hardly, Almost Scarcely Hardly, Almost Never Never Without without, without doing something Seldom rarely Rarely occasionally little, few to refuse to refuse Sally seldom talks to anyone. Sally rarely talks to anyone. Fred could hardly see anything in that dark room dark room. Any can be used with the preposition of to mean any: You can catch any of these trams. They all go to Lake Komsomol You can ride any of these trams. All of them go to Komsomolskoye Lake. However, the compound pronouns anyone, anything, anybody are not used with the preposition of. One cannot say: Anyone of these managers can be appointed director. Any of these managers can be appointed as a director. You can: Any of these managers can be appointed director. After complex pronouns and adverbs, the adverb else can be used in the meaning of yet, except. anybody / anyone else anyone else anything else something else anywhere else somewhere else Have you got anything else to tell me? Is there anything else you want to tell me? The indefinite pronouns anybody, anyone MAY take the possessive ending. I don't want to get anyone's help. I don't want to accept anyone's help. If the pronoun is used in combination with the adverb else, the possessive case takes this adverb. Did you notice anybody else's tracks there? Did you notice anyone else there?
- "a" is written before consonants
"any" is written in interrogative and countable
"some" is written in affirmative and non-countable -
- much - many - a few - a little. expressions of quantity. Learning English
An expression of quantity tells the amount of something.
much or many? few or little?
"much" - not countable
"How much...?" With uncountable nouns in negative and questions.
How much homework do we get?
How much money do I need?
How much milk do you want?
Is there much sugar in my tea?"many" - countable nouns
With countable nouns in negative and questions.
How many sisters does he have?
How many pupils are in this class?
How many books do you buy?
How many cows live on this farm?"a few ..." countable nouns
Use "(A) few ..." with countable nouns.
There are just a few examples.
I meet a few friends
I see a few hundred pupils.
I've got a few brothers."a little..." uncountable
Use "a little" with uncountable nouns.
There is little tea left.
Not a lot, only a little, please.
I've got little money.Countable nouns and uncountable nouns
a lot of / lots of Use an exact quantity or a lot of / lots of
There are 10 pupils.
There are a lot of cookies
They have got a lot of CDs.
There are a lot of things on your table.
We got lots of money - To the indeclinable - a
To uncountable - some
Rest an - The articles "a" and "an" are placed before nouns. countable units. numbers. "a" - if noun. followed by a consonant sound. "an" - if noun. starts with a vowel.
Some - adjective or adverb, means "several" (adverb), as in the enum. so with innumerable It can also mean "some" (adjective). Look in the dictionary about some, they will tell you better about this word. - a- nouns singular. number an nouns unit number starting with a and e
some is an adjective meaning some.
Dear readers, you often ask us questions and ask for help. We are happy to help everyone, check your assignments and create articles with explanations. Per Lately we have received several letters asking us to explain how to use the words some, any, no in sentences. According to your requests, keep the long-awaited article! If you are not always sure what you are using some, any, no If so, then you will definitely need this information.
Any- a determiner that implies a certain amount, is used with countable and uncountable nouns when a specific amount is not important or it is not necessary to indicate it. Any used in interrogative sentences any; any amount; some), but, as a rule, it is not translated into Russian. As well as any occurs in negative sentences ( none, none, none), where it can be translated into Russian:
Have you got any questions? - Do you have (any, any) questions?
Did you buy any milk? - Have you bought (any; any quantity) milk?
Were there any celebrities? - Were there (any, any) celebrities?
I cannot see any pictures. - I don't see (any) pictures.
We have not read any letters. We haven't read (any) letters.
There is not any furniture in the room. - There is no (no) furniture in the room.
no- a determinant that denotes the complete absence of something. Used in negative sentences. no is a stronger determinant than not any, conveys the idea of absence more emphatically, although both sentences are translated into Russian in the same way:
Usually, countable nouns in the plural, uncountable nouns are used after no, but in certain contexts it is also possible to use no with singular countable nouns:
I have got no friends. - I do not have friends.
She has no husband. - She doesn't have a husband.
Having a sentence with the word some, you can form its interrogative form (with any) and two negative sentences (c no and not any). If this topic is new to you, then at first you will still think about what word to use, but in the future you will learn how to build different types of statements automatically:
We introduced you to the basics of using the words some, any, no. However, that's not all. There are some more nuances, you can say exceptions, which you also do not hurt to remember.
As stated above, some most often used in affirmative sentences. Exceptions are interrogative sentences in which something is offered or asked:
Do you mind if ...?
Can I have some...?
Would you like...?
Would you like some tea? - Would you like (some) tea?
Do you mind if I take some cake? - Do you mind if I take (some) cake?
Can I have some water? - Can I have (some) water?
Some is also used in questions when they expect a "Yes" answer, and to make it clear that they are waiting for an affirmative answer:
In addition to indefinite quantity, some denotes the indefiniteness of the subject itself (some) when used with a count noun. If you want to show that an object or person is unknown or of little interest to you, do it with the help of the word some:
As it turned out, some can be found in the question. May be, any used in affirmative sentences? Yes, it is used. But not in all, but in some cases.
Any is used in, after if:
If you have any questions, just ask me. - If you have any questions, just ask me.
If they leave any messages, you must inform me. - If they leave any messages, you must inform me.
Any is used in statements to mean "any", "whatever", "doesn't matter which" to emphasize the idea of free choice:
You can choose any dress, it will be my present for you. - You can choose any dress, it will be my gift.
If you do not know the way to the laboratory, ask any student. - If you do not know how to get to the laboratory - ask any student.
If any is used in this sense, it is emphasized in the sentence.
After words with a negative meaning: never, hardly, without is used any, not some:
That's all you need to know about words some, any, no. Of course, each of these words has additional features, but we will talk about them in our next publications.
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In English grammar, special attention should be paid to the category of indefinite pronouns, which includes such pronouns as some, any, little, few, every, much, etc.
These pronouns are studied in separate topics, usually in pairs:
some/any;
Either/neither;
Much/many, etc.
This article will cover in detail the pronouns some and any, which are used in different meanings. To present information in a convenient, structured form, all of it is listed in a table.
Usage table for Some and Any
|
1. Some and any are used in meaning front plural nouns. |
They sent me some boxes of salt - They sent me some boxes of salt. | |
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| 2. Some and any are used in meaning some, some, someinstead of plural nouns. | Some (in affirmative sentences) | Clients of our company wanted to look at the new products and we showed them some - Clients of our company wanted to look at new products, and we showed them some. |
| Any (in interrogative and negative sentences) | Tom asked me for some tickets but I hadn "t any - Tom asked me for tickets, but I didn't have any. | |
| 3. Some and any are used in meaning front uncountable nouns. However, they are often not translated into Russian. | Some (in affirmative sentences) | Add some oil, please - Add some oil, please. |
| Any (in interrogative and negative sentences) | We don "t have any work in May - We don't have work in May. | |
| 4. Some and any are used in meaning some, some, a littleinstead of uncountable nouns. | Some (in affirmative sentences) | We need some salt. Please pass me some - We need salt. Pass me the salt, please. |
| Any (in interrogative and negative sentences) | I have lost my money on my way home. Have you got any? I lost my money on the way home. You have money? | |
| 5. In special matters some is used, not any. |
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| 6. Some is used in the meaning of some front plural nouns. | Some animals die in cold weather cold weather some animals are dying. | |
| 7. Some is used with the meaning part front uncountable nouns. | Some of the fuel was found in the forest- Part of the fuel was found in the forest. | |
| 8. Any is used in any sentence in the meaning of any, any with uncountable nouns or countable nouns in the singular. |
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In the grammar of the English language, such a topic as: “Rules for the use of Some and Any” is one of the fundamental ones (the same as, for example), because without the use of these words it is difficult to imagine ordinary spoken and written English speech. Some Any the rule can be attributed to grammar for beginners, because they are only part of the topic, which also includes the indefinite pronoun No, the so-called some any no rule. So, let's begin. It is important to remember that Some and Any are synonyms in English.
Some is a pronoun. It can be translated into Russian in different ways, depending on the context. Basic meanings: a little, a few, some, some. Any [ˈɛnɪ] - can be both a pronoun and an adjective, and one of the main meanings is any.
Some and Any are used as if they were countable.(those that can be counted) so with uncountable(can't count) nouns. All these rules also apply to derivatives of these pronouns: anything, something, anywhere, somewhere and others.
The general rules for using some and any are pretty simple:
- “Some” is used in affirmative (+) sentences. When we want to talk about something without giving the exact amount. I have several friends in Moscow. There are several lemons on the tree. I need some help. My wedding photo got a few likes on Facebook. In these sentences, I write the words: a few, some, etc., but as a rule, Some and Any are not translated into Russian, are simply implied. Examples:
I have some friends in Moscow. There are some lemons on the tree. I need some help. My wedding photo got some likes on Facebook. - “Any” is used in negative (-) and interrogative (?) sentences. I don't want vegetables (any). I don't have pets (any). Do you have siblings (any: older, younger, relatives or cousins, etc.)? Do you speak any other languages?
Examples: I don't want any vegetables. I haven't got any pets. Do you have any brothers or sisters? Can she speak any other languages? - The rule for using some and any, like any other has its own exceptions.
- — Some can be used in interrogative sentences (?) if these are polite questions, suggestions and requests, to which a positive response is generally expected. That is, we either offer something or ask for something. That being said, the sentence: Would you like some cheese? More natural and polite than seemingly correct: “Would you like any cheese?”. Another example: Do you want something to eat? Can I borrow some money?
There is one more subtle point, which is rarely written about in Russian-language textbooks. When we use some in question, we limit the choice of what we offer to the other person.For example, “Can I get you something to drink? “Coffee, or tea?” means that I offer you a limited selection of drinks. When we use any in question, we do not limit the choice.For example, "Would you like anything to drink?" includes a range of drinks. - — Any can also be used in affirmative sentences if it is preceded by the words: never, without, hardly. Also, if we are talking about sentences with the word If(if).
Examples:
— We never go anywhere. She never eats any fruit.- Lina did her homework without any help. Jack left the house without any money.
— We hardly watch any television
— If you have any questions, just ask. - — Any can be used in an affirmative sentence, also if its meaning is "whatever, anyone, anyone." Example: You may call me anytime at your convenience. You can call me at any time convenient for you. "Do you have any questions?" Do you have any (any) questions?
- — Some can be used in interrogative sentences (?) if these are polite questions, suggestions and requests, to which a positive response is generally expected. That is, we either offer something or ask for something. That being said, the sentence: Would you like some cheese? More natural and polite than seemingly correct: “Would you like any cheese?”. Another example: Do you want something to eat? Can I borrow some money?
Some / Any table
| type of a sentence | Countable nouns. | Uncountable nouns |
| + | Some | Some |
| — | Any | Any |
| ? | Any | Any |
| Exceptions | ||
| ? Question-request. Can I…some….? | Some | Some |
| ? Question using Would you like some….? | Some | Some |
| ? A question is a suggestion about something. Why don't we watch some movies on TV tonight? | Some | Some |
| + Affirmative sentence using If. | Any | Any |
| + Affirmative sentence with the words: never, without, hardly. | Any | Any |
| + Affirmative sentence, where the meaning of Any will be: "whatever, anyone, anyone" | Any | Any |
You can download the Some / Any table in pdf format for printing, as well as Some / Any tests with answers, you can.
The rules for using some and any can also be found in these excellent English grammar books.