Similar or opposite linguistic units, or simply words, are studied in linguistics with the help of semantic and other oppositions, opposing them at different levels.

All parts of speech, which in their function are also members of a sentence and are used with nouns, which we will consider in this article, are so diverse that they will have to be dealt with for a long time - a textbook can be written. Therefore, consider the most common oppositions.

Oppositions in linguistics mean the confrontation of seemingly different things, which allows you to get unexpected results. Of course, such a definition sounds almost primitive. But we will not go further into linguistics. We have another goal - to learn how to use them.

Consider some important oppositions of the words a, any and some between themselves and other parts of speech.

So, by the way, "a" is an article, "any" and "some" are. This is to show in the company - they say, that's how smart I am.

Contrasting the article "a" and the zero article

Yes, there is such a thing in English, but not all textbooks mention it.

The article "a" is used only when talking about some kind of container - a bottle, a jar, a glass, etc. For example: Bring me a glass of water!

Many manuals write that the indefinite article is not used with various kinds of substances: sand, water, flour, and this is true. It's quite realistic to say: Get me water! (Get some water somewhere!) - Yes, at least draw it from a puddle. But if you say: Get me a beer , then it is quite clear that we are talking about a bottle, a can or some other container.

Little exercise. Clue: in some sentences, depending on the situation, one or even both options are possible - in speech, the main thing is to understand the situation correctly - it can be packaging or water from a swamp.

Exercise 1

1. He went to look for … water.
2. Get me…beer!
3. Mary came to the convenience store to buy … pepsi.

A vs any

The opposition between the article "a" and the adjectival pronoun "any" makes little sense, since they are interchangeable in meaning. As in affirmative, so in. It's just that the article is shorter in sound, and this explains its preference.

Some

But the subjective pronoun "some" in use is closely opposed to the adjective pronoun "any", especially in interrogative sentences. And this is the most important thing. First, both words are to some extent determinants, i.e. words that concretize the language, like articles. Secondly, some of them are used only with, while others are not, if we add the indefinite article here:

Compare:

I haven't got a car. (negative sentence, countable noun)

Have you got any aspirins? (question, plural noun)

I need some medicine. ( , I need medication.)
In general, I would advise you not to bother with all this, but to remember one simple rule - some is used in affirmative sentences, A any - in negative and interrogative with almost the same meaning.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

Watch this English video I made especially for English learners to learn when to use the words "some" and "any" in English. These are very common words in English, but both words mean "a certain amount, a little." Let's figure out when to use what. First, I suggest you read the concise rules for using the words “some” and “any”, and then watch a video dialogue in English in which a married couple discusses what products they have at home and what they need to purchase using phrases with “some ' and 'any'. As always, under the video itself you will find the full text of the dialogue in English so that you can easily follow the progress of the “actors” communication.

When to use "some" and when to use "any" in English

When we speak English, we often need to give a definition of the approximate amount of a substance or objects. This is what the words "some" and "any" are used for in English. Their use will depend on the types of sentences in which they are used - positive or negative and interrogative. In addition, their meaning will change depending on whether we use "some" or "any" with countable or uncountable nouns. Well, let's talk about everything in order. Let's start with countable and uncountable nouns, and then move on to sentence types.

Countable and uncountable nouns

All nouns are divided into two massive subgroups - countable (those that we can count) and uncountable (those that we cannot count). For example: two chairs (two chairs), three bedside tables (three cabinets), ten apples (ten apples) are countable nouns, because we can count them or put a numeral right in front of them, but water (water), coffee (coffee ) or snow (snow) are examples of uncountable nouns, because we cannot say: one coffee, three snows or ten waters. To measure them, we use not only numbers, but also various measures, such as liters, mugs, glasses and meters. For example: two meters of snow (two meters of snow), three cups of coffee (three cups of coffee) or five glasses of water (five glasses of water).

Building sentences with "some" and "any" in English

The general rule for using "some" and "any" is:
1) We use "some" in positive sentences;
2) We use "any" in negative and interrogative sentences;
3) We can use "" in positive sentences in the sense of "some, any, no matter what."
"some" and "any" before countable nouns in sentences
In positive sentences before countable nouns, the word "some" means "several", and the word "any" means "any, no matter what". In negative English sentences, “any” will mean the complete absence of something, someone, and in interrogative sentences, it means “in general”. For example:
I have some apples. - I have a few apples.
give me any book. Give me any book.
Do you have any cups in your kitchen? Do you (at all) have cups in the kitchen?
She doesn't have any textbooks. She doesn't have any books.

"some" and "any" before uncountable nouns in sentences
Before uncountable, the word "some" means "a little, a certain amount" in positive sentences, and the word "any" - "any, some". Sometimes the word "some" or "any" may not be translated into Russian, but, as a rule, it is used before uncountable nouns to show that, for example, someone drinks not all the tea in the world, but some part of it. In negative sentences, "any" means "none, none, none" or "not at all", i.e. the absence of something in questions - "in general", i.e. For example:
She drinks some tea in the morning. She drinks tea (a little tea) in the morning.
Will he bring any wine? Will he bring (generally) wine?
I won't have any beer, thank you. – I won’t (no or no) beer, thanks.
give me any salad you have on your menu. Give me any salad you have on the menu. (I don't care what salad you give me)

Dialogue in English: "some" and "any"

Text of the dialogue in English: Husband and wife discuss which of the products they have in the house and which they need to buy, and when communicating they use the words "some" and "any".
- Honey, we don't have any sugar.
- We have some sugar darling. It's in the cupboard.
- Ah, OK. Do we have any eggs? I would like to make some omellette.
- There are some eggs in the fridge, I think.
-Is there any milk in the fridge?
- No, there isn't any milk at all. We need to buy some milk.
- OK. What about flour? Do we have any flour?
- Yes, we do. We have some flour in the cupboard. But we don't have any salt. And there isn't any oil too.
- OK, I'll go shopping and buy some oil, some salt, and some milk. I won't buy any eggs, any flour and any sugar.
Thank you darling. You are always so helpful. That's why I love you!

On the website of my English language school you will find many free materials for learning English:

Indefinite pronouns indicate an indefinite subject, object or person, as well as a small amount. In English, this group includes some, any with their derivatives. Despite the same translation - “some, some, a little, a few, some, some”, they have differences in the rules of use.

Some

Used mainly in affirmative sentences, special questions, and requests and suggestions. In general questions, the same thing can be used when it is necessary to emphasize a small amount of something especially strongly.

Any

It is used, as a rule, in negative phrases, general questions. In questions requiring a yes/no answer, in conditional sentences. It is also used in affirmative sentences, but in the sense of "any, no matter what."

Comparative use of the pronouns some and any

The main difference lies in the types of statements in which these pronouns are used.

No homework. Without teeth. Without textbooks

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Any used

• For general questions.
  • Will there be any people in the room? Will there be any people in the room?
• For negations (together with particle not)
  • There were not any dogs in the garden. — There were no dogs in the garden.
• In affirmative sentences, it can be used when it is important to emphasize that "it does not matter which, any"
  • You could find these flowers in any forest. You can find these flowers in any forest.
  • Parents may return at any time. — Parents can return at any time.
  • What kind of tea do you drink? Any will be ok. — What tea do you drink? Anyone will do.
• Since any is used in negative constructs, it will also be used after having a negative , such as:
  • Hardly, scarcely(hardly, hardly)
  • Never(never)
  • Without(- without, and when it is followed by the fourth / ing form of the verb, then “without doing something”)
  • Seldom, rarely(rarely, infrequently, occasionally)
  • (little, few)

Both of these pronouns can be translated into Russian, or their meaning is conveyed descriptively with the preservation of meaning.

For example, it usually remains without translation when it is used with uncountable nouns, but the meaning means “a little, a certain amount, some”.

you give me some tea, please?

Could you pour me some tea, please.

Important Notes

Used with uncountable nouns, some means only a certain amount, a part, and not the whole.

For comparison:

• Lend me some money for shopping. — Lend me some money for shopping.
• Give me the money, or I`ll shoot! — Give me money (everything you have), otherwise I'll shoot!

It is also worth considering that when using indefinite pronouns with countable nouns, it is no longer necessary to put.

• Where are the textbooks? – Some are on the table.- Where are the textbooks? - They (some) are on the table.
• I need some food. Please give me some. — I need some food. Please give me food.

If the pronoun some is used in relation to a certain set of persons or objects in the meaning, then the preposition of is placed after it, and the definite article the, or a possessive / demonstrative pronoun, is required before the subsequent noun. Derivatives from indefinite pronouns are not used in this construction.

Some of our guests late. Some of our guests were late.
Some of the apples were already eaten. Some apples have already been eaten.

Derivatives of some and any

some and any form derivatives with the suffixes "thing, body, one, where, when".

• something, anything- “something, anything, anything”, when it comes to inanimate objects and objects
• somebody, someone; anyone, anyone"someone, anyone, anyone, anyone, someone" are used with respect to animate nouns, i.e. people
• somewhere, anywhere- “somewhere, somewhere, somewhere, everywhere, nowhere”, i.e. relative to the location

In the use of derivatives, one should be guided by the same rules as for the original pronouns.

Indefinite pronouns some, any, no and their forms actively used in English. Any and no are synonymous in some cases.

Basic rule:

• use in declarative sentences some(except "would you like ...", etc.),
• in interrogative and negative any and no(except any in the meaning of "any").

When used with countable nouns, it means "several", "some".

Some people in our town are very generous - Some people in our town are very generous.
Some relatives came to help me to pack - Several relatives came to help me pack.

In sentences with uncountable nouns, it means "a little".

He lent me some money - He lent me some money.

Some is sometimes used in interrogative sentences when there is a request.

Can I make some milkshake for myself? – Can I make a milkshake for myself?

Pronoun Any

Any in an interrogative sentence usually means "any", "anyone".

Has any of you read the “The Hobbit”? Have any of you read The Hobbit?

Any is also used in a declarative sentence to mean "any of" as shown in the example above.

Any in negative sentences:

I haven't received any package from you - I haven't received any package from you.

Pronoun No

The particle no means negation. In most cases, it can be replaced by any with a negation.

I had no mobile phone when I was ten. I didn’t’t have any mobile phone when I was ten - I didn’t have a mobile phone when I was 10.

Table of derived indefinite pronouns

	Replace an animate noun. In fact, they are synonyms.		Adverb of place	Replaces an inanimate noun
	-body	-one	-where	-thing
Some-	Somebody Somebody	Someone Somebody	Somewhere Somewhere	Something Something
No-	Nobody Nobody	no one Nobody	Nowhere nowhere	Nothing Nothing
Any-	Anybody Anyone	Anyone Anyone	Anywhere Anywhere	Anything Anything

The general rules for the use of derivatives from some, any, no do not change.

Examples:

Somebody / Someone came to this room and took all the books from here - Someone came into this room and took all the books from here.

It is raining somewhere near Tula now - Now it is raining somewhere near Tula.

Something fell from the shelf and woke the baby up - Something fell from the shelf and woke the baby up.

Nobody/No one has ever stood on its ears - No one has ever stood on their ears.

Nothing bothers Lena, when she does yoga - Nothing bothers Lena when she does yoga.

We could buy caviar nowhere in this little town - We couldn't buy caviar anywhere in this little town.

Anyone/Anybody can learn how to swim if they want - Anyone can learn how to swim if they want.

You can ski anywhere in this forest - In this forest, you can ski anywhere.

Anything would be better than this terrible soup - Everything would be tastier than this terrible soup.

Indefinite pronouns in English

Today we invite you to learn any / some - the rules for using these indefinite pronouns. Also at the end of this article, we will consider combinations of some and any with other words.

Before we start, let's remember that some and any have the following meanings: any, any, some, a few, a little (in requests).

Rules for using some, any

1. Both words are used before a noun. The article before these words is not used.

2 . Some is used in affirmative sentences:

For example:

I saw this trick in some movie. I saw this trick in some movie.

She needs some pieces of paper. She needs some sheets of paper.

I'd like some juice, thank you. I'll have some juice, thanks.

It is worth paying attention to the fact that usually with plural nouns some we translate as “a few”, “a little”, and in the singular - as “some”.

Some apples - a few apples;

Some girl - some girl.

With uncountable nouns, it can be translated in different ways:

Let's listen to some music. Let's listen to some music.

I need some sugar for my tea. I need some sugar for tea.

3. This is rather an interesting meaning of the word some, rather than a rule. In American English, some can be used for emotional reinforcement and is translated as "excellent", "what you need", etc.

For example:

That was some movie! - That was a movie!

That's some cold. - Well, it's cold.

It's some ice cream! - Ice cream is what you need!

4. Some can also be used in questions, but only when we offer something to someone or ask someone to do something.

For example:

I'm at the supermarket. Would you like some cake? - I'm in the supermarket. Would you like some cake?

Could you give me some water please? – Can you give me some water, please?

Could you give me some privacy? - Can you leave me alone?

5. Any is used in interrogative sentences. When we ask if a person has something.
Do you have any evidence that she did it? Do you have any proof that she did it?

Have you found any mistakes? Did you find any mistakes?

Do you have any new ideas? – Do you have any new ideas?

6. Any is used in negative sentences.

I haven't found any mistakes. - I didn't find any errors.

There isn't any milk in the fridge. There is no milk in the refrigerator.

7. In affirmative sentences, any translates as "any", "any"

Any fruit is useful. Any fruit is good.

Any boy would be flattered by your interest. Any guy would be flattered by your attention.

Some, any in combination with other words

Some

With the word some we can create words like this:

Someone / somebody - someone, someone, someone

someone called you. - Someone called you.

Is that somebody you studied with? Is this someone you studied with?

Something - something, something

Did you hear something? – Did you hear something?

Tell me something I don't know. Tell me something I don't know.

Somewhere - somewhere, somewhere

Have you seen my notebook somewhere? Have you seen my notebook somewhere?

Any

Anybody - anyone, anyone (person), no one (in denials), someone (in questions)

Why haven't you locked the door? Anyone can get in! Why didn't you lock the door with a key? Anyone can come in.

Is anyone home? -Is someone at home?

He never told anyone this story. He never told this story to anyone.

Anything - anything, something (in questions)

Do you need anything? - Do you need something?

You can tell me anything you want. I can keep secrets. “You can tell me whatever you want. I can keep secrets.

Anything like - we decided to add this phrase, as it is very useful. It translates as "somewhat similar" / "something similar"

Do you really think my new painting is anything like his? “Do you really think my new painting is anything like his?”

Anywhere - anywhere, anywhere

I'm ready to be anywhere, just to be far away from you. I'm ready to be anywhere, as long as it's far from you.

Anywhere you go, remember who you are. Wherever you go, remember who you are.

Any, some - the rules for using these pronouns are very easy to remember. The main thing to learn is that we use any in questions and negatives. We make an exception only when we offer something or ask to do something for us. Come up with an example for each rule, then you will definitely not get confused in using some and any.