Subtitles section Play video Print subtitles { Difference between 'Some' and 'Any' } Hello friends, Welcome back to new lesson, I am Niharika and in today's lesson we are gonna look at the words 'Some' and 'Any', now in English when do we use these words? well, when we are unable to specify an exact number or an exact amount that's when we end up using the words - Some and Any, for example: We say I saw three elephants at the zoo today so here when you say - I saw three elephants, you are specifically mentioning the number of elephants that you saw at the zoo. but, if you just say that I saw some elephants, Well! The 'some' word specifies that you might have seen three or four or few elephants. And then the word 'Any'- I didn't see any elephants at the zoo today so 'Any'- Well! that tells you that you didn't see any elephants. Right? So, let's understand when do we use the words 'Some' & 'Any' and how correctly it should be used in English. So, we have examples here, well the first rule The word 'Some' - along with the words like somebody Something, Someone, Somewhere or words like Anybody, Anyone, Anywhere and so on.... So, we gonna learn to use these words as well, So, now the word 'some' along with the words like somebody, somewhere, someone these words are always use in positive sentences okay, whereas the word 'Any' along with the words like anybody, anyone, anywhere are used in negative sentences. So, here I have two examples for you with positive sentences using the word 'some' - Eg. We got some flowers So, here I am saying that - We bought some flowers Okay, Now of course you are not mentioning, how many flowers did you buy you were saying that - We bought some flowers and if you look at the example here We didn't buy any flowers. Okay, this is negative, this is positive So, the word 'some' is used in a positive sentence whereas the word 'any' is used in a negative sentence let's look at another example - He is busy, he has got some work to do. Wow! hard working guy, right? So, He is busy , he has got some work to do you have used the word 'Some' well! because it's a positive sentence, but if you look at example at the example over here- He is lazy, He never does any work. So, never that means, it's a negative sentence, right? He's lazy, he never does any work well that's why we have used the word 'any' okay, so this first rule that you need to keep in mind - that we use the word 'Some' along with these words in positive sentences, whereas we use the word "any' along with these words like anybody, anyone, anywhere it negative sentences. Now let's learn some more about these words Okay, So, here's another rule for using the word 'some' So, we do use the word 'Some' and of course words like somebody, somewhere, something to ask a question and specifically when we we want to offer something or when we are requesting for something, okay, that's when we use the words some, somebody, something somewhere okay, for example : Would you like something to eat. Say, you have guests at home and you wanna offer them something to eat so, would you like something to eat? or would you like to have some more tea? would you like to have some more juice? okay, so this is the way you are offering something, right? So to offer something you would always end up using the word 'some' or words like 'something', 'somebody' 'someone' okay, then another one over here - this is when you are asking or requesting for something Could I have some milk , please? okay you're out of milk and you want to make some coffee for yourself So, you go to your neighbor's house and you say - Okay, you know I'm out of milk, So could I have some milk, please? So, you are asking for something, you're requesting for something. So, again you end up using the word 'Some' okay, now another rule for using the word 'Any' and of course along with that words like anything, anybody, anywhere So, you use these words when... with the meaning, when it doesn't matter okay, it's used in a positive way that's the difference you know, well! we learned that the word 'any' is always used in negative sentences but again it's English so when you are trying to tell someone something in a positive way but the meaning of that sentences is that it doesn't matter okay, it doesn't matter that is when you end up using words like any, anybody, anything, anywhere to understand this better let's look at the examples here - Which book shall I read ? okay, someone asks you why don't you go through my library? and just pick up a book whatever you want to read. So, your friend would ask a hey! which book shall I read? So, Well! Anyone it's up to you. So, when you end up saying - Anyone, it means - It doesn't matter Okay, So you are being positive here but you also using the word anyone, but it doesn't matter in relation to that meaning you are using this , right? So, that's the correct way to say it. Another one Let's go somewhere, where shall we go? Anywhere, I just want to chill, So, again here you are saying anywhere because it doesn't matter to you, you just want to step out, you just wanna have a good time, you just wanna chill so, it doesn't matter so that's exactly the reason why you end up using the word 'anywhere' okay, so you use these words when with the meaning that it doesn't matter, got it? Now let's have a look at another rule Okay, So here is another point that you need to keep in mind when you're learning these words Now, words like somebody, someone Anybody, Anyone, well! these are singular words however, we do use words like them they, their after we use these words Okay, so to understand this, let's look at the example Someone has forgotten their phone - Now, you would say.... Well! you just mentioned - Someone is a singular word, right? then why have you ended up using the word 'their' So let me explain this to you, Now probably you are in a classroom, okay, and.... the class is of 20 kids and out of these 20 kids, Well! this phone belongs to one kid, right? and you don't know who he or she is right? so, when you end up saying someone okay, so you know that the phone belongs to one person that's why you are saying someone has forgotten their phone. So, the word 'their' Well! this word is used to talk about the whole group okay and that's why we have ended up using this word right? well let's look at the second sentence so that you get this better - If anyone is interested to participate in the competition, they can contact the front desk. so again if anyone, okay well probably there's a competition and you know that there are several people out there who would like to participate but you don't know specifically who that person would be So, you end up using the word 'anyone' If anyone's interested to participate in the competition, they can contact the front desk So, the word 'they', well! this is used to talk about the whole bunch of people whoever wants to participate in the competition, okay so the whole bunch of people that you are talking to, right? and that's why you end up using these plural words with the singular words like somebody, someone anybody or anyone okay, This brings me to the end of this lesson, just a quick review for you words like some, somebody, somewhere someone... are used in positive sentences. Words like any, anybody, anywhere, anything are used in negative sentences okay, and of course the word 'some' or the rest of the words are used to to offer.... are used in questions to offer or to request, where as words like any and the other words of course are used with a meaning where it 'doesn't matter which' okay, so hope this is clear to you, if any questions do write into us I'll be happy to reply to your questions and I'll be back with a new lesson soon, till then you take care and have a great day!
A2 US TOEIC doesn matter positive negative matter sentence English Grammar Lesson – The tricky - 'Some' Vs 'Any' (Learn Spoken English) 23104 2011 Chamber posted on 2015/07/27 More Share Save Report Video vocabulary