HOW TO USE “SOME”,
“ANY”, AND “NO ARTICLE”
Definition: We can use “some, any or
no article” before plural or uncountable nouns. They all mean something
similar to a/an before a singular noun.
For example:
Can I have a banana?
[One banana, but any one is okay.]
Can I have some bananas?
[More than one banana, but any small group is okay.]
The difference between “some and
no article”:
Often, there isn't a big difference in
meaning between “no article” and “some”. However, we use some when
we are talking about a limited number or amount (but we don't know or we don't
want to say the exact quantity).
Some means “a certain number of” or “a certain amount of”. We don't use some if we are talking about something in general or thinking about it as a category. When we use some, we don't say the exact quantity, but we could probably find it out if we needed to.
Some means “a certain number of” or “a certain amount of”. We don't use some if we are talking about something in general or thinking about it as a category. When we use some, we don't say the exact quantity, but we could probably find it out if we needed to.
For example:
Can you buy some milk?
[We don't know exactly how much, but I'm talking about a certain amount of milk
– I don't want all the milk in the world.]
On the other hand, we use “no
article” when we aren't thinking about the quantity. It's used to talk about
the noun as a category, rather than a certain amount of it:
For example:
We need Ø milk to
make pancakes. [I'm thinking about milk as a category. I'm not thinking about a
certain amount of milk.]
More examples:
We need to buy Ø coffee
[I'm talking about coffee as a category, not thinking about the amount].
Would you like some coffee?
[I mean a certain amount of coffee, probably a cup.]
I ate some bread [I
mean a certain amount of bread].
I ate Ø bread [not
pasta or rice].
Remember that often it doesn't make a
big difference:
Do you want Ø tea?
[I'm not thinking about the amount.]
Do you want some tea?
[I'm thinking about the amount, but the meaning is really the same as the first
sentence.]
The difference between some and any:
Generally, we use any in
the same way as some: when we are thinking about a certain amount
or number of something. Remember, usually both some and any can
only be used with plural countable nouns or uncountable nouns, but not
usually with singular countable nouns.
We usually use some with affirmative (positive) sentences and any with negatives and questions:
We usually use some with affirmative (positive) sentences and any with negatives and questions:
For example:
She bought some tomatoes
[positive sentence].
She didn't buy any tomatoes
[negative sentence].
Did she buy any tomatoes
[question]?
However, there are some exceptions to
this.
1: Any can be used in a positive sentence to mean “it's not important which one”. When we use any in this way, it's most often used with singular countable nouns:
1: Any can be used in a positive sentence to mean “it's not important which one”. When we use any in this way, it's most often used with singular countable nouns:
For example:
You can take any bus.
Pass me any glass.
Come over any Sunday.
2: Any can also be used in
positive sentences that have a negative feeling, for example if they
include never, hardly, without:
For example:
She never eats any fruit.
We hardly watch any television.
Julia left the house without
any money.
3: Some can be used
in questions when we expect that the answer will be “yes”. This is very common
in offers and requests:
For example:
Would you like some coffee?
Do you want some sandwiches?
Could you give me some help?
Could you pass me some sugar?
Compare the following two sentences:
Do you have any letters
for me? [This is a real question. I don't know if you have any letters or not.]
Do you have some letters
for me? [I think you do, so I'm expecting that you will say 'yes'.]
SOME / ANY / ‘NO
ARTICLE’ EXERCISE 1
Direction: Fill the gap with ‘some’
or ‘no article’ (Ø).
1. Can you buy ______ pasta? [I’m
thinking of the amount we need for tonight.] 2. We need ______ mushrooms [I’m
not thinking about the amount].
3. John drinks ______ coffee every
morning [coffee, not tea].
4. Add ______ water to the soup if
it’s too thick [a certain amount of water].
5. I really want ______ tea – could
you get me a cup?
6. We could have ______ rice for
dinner [rice, not pasta].
7. I ate ______ bread and two eggs
for lunch [I’m thinking about the amount]. 8. She bought ______ new furniture
[a certain amount of furniture].
9. Did you get ______ carrots? [I’m
not thinking about the amount.]
10. I’d like _______ tea, please!
[Tea, not juice or coffee.]
SOME / ANY / ‘NO
ARTICLE’ EXERCISE 2
Direction: Fill the gap with “some”
or “any”
1. Have we got ______ bread? [A real
question, I have no idea.]
2. ______ student will tell you that
they don’t have enough money [it doesn’t matter which student].
3. We’ve got ______ furniture, but we
still need a table.
4. She bought ______ new clothes.
5. You can buy beer in ______ pub [it
doesn’t matter which pub].
6. Can I have ______ more juice? [I
expect you will say ‘yes’.]
7. Did you buy ______ juice? [I have
no idea, this is a real question.]
8. I can speak ______ French.
9. Would you like ______ tea? [An
offer – I think you will say ‘yes’.]
10. In London in the winter there’s
hardly ______ sunlight.
11. Go into ______ shop on the high
street and ask [it doesn’t matter which shop].
12. Would you like ______ more meat?
[An offer – I think you will say ‘yes’.] 13. There’s ______ money in my
handbag.
14. Did you buy ______ chicken? [I
expect you will say ‘yes’, because we talked about it before.]
15. I don’t have ______ sunblock with
me.
16. She never drinks ______ water.
17. Do you have ______ sugar? [I
expect you will say ‘yes’, because usually you have sugar.]
18. It’s hard in a new city without
______ friends.
19. I didn’t find ______ problems.
20. Could you give me ______ paper?
[A request – I expect you will say ‘yes’.
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