Very often we cannot say the exact amount of something or name a specific person. We say: some, several, a little. In English, in such cases, the words some and any come to our aid.
In this article we will look at:
What are indefinite pronouns?
Some and any are indefinite pronouns. Let's go in order.
Pronoun- a word used instead of the name of an object (or its characteristics) and indicating it. For example, instead of “girl,” we can say “she.”
Indefinite pronoun we use, when we don't know or we cannot determine:
- Which person/thing exactly?/People
For example:
Called some kind girl (we don't know who it was).
Must be some kind of explanation (we don’t know what).
- The exact amount of something
For example:
Lies on the table some books (we did not count them and cannot say the exact number).
I need A little salt (we cannot count and say the exact amount)
Now let's look at situations in which we use some and any.
Using some in English
The word some is translated as "some, some, several, some."
We use some when There is something, but we do not know its quantity or do not have accurate information about it.
Therefore, some is usually used in affirmative sentences.
Let's take a closer look at the cases of its use:
1. When we are talking about a person or thing about which we do not have an exact idea (some, some, some).
For example: A man came (can’t say who it was)
2. When we do not know the exact number of people and things or cannot count them.
For example: I have several pens (I don't know how many exactly)
In this case, we say “several” or “a little” (for items that we cannot count).
I need some apples for this recipe.
I need some apples for this recipe.
I want some water.
I want some water.
3. When it comesabout some quantity (unknown to us) from the total numbers, that is, we are talking "some".
For example: Some people don't eat meat (we don't know the exact number).
Some people like to travel alone.
Some people love to travel alone.
Some people like sports.
Some people love sports.
Using some in interrogative sentences
However, some is not always used in affirmative sentences. Sometimes we can also use it and in interrogative sentences. As written above, some is used when we know that someone owns something (a person has it). Therefore, the use of some in questions is allowed in the following cases:
Would you like some juice?
Would you like some juice?
Do you want some chocolate?
Do you want some chocolate?
2. If we ask/ask for something and assume that the answer will be “yes”.
That is, we know that a person has what we need, and we assume that he will agree to give it to us.
For example, you call customer service and say, “Can you give me some information?”
In this situation, you know that the person you are contacting has this information.
Can you give me some apples?
Can you give me some apples? (we know that humans have them)
May I take some chairs?
Can I take some chairs? (you see them in front of you)
Now let's look at when we use the pronoun any.
Using any in English
The word any is translated as “any, any.”
Any we use when we don’t know or are not sure whether some thing (or some situation has occurred) exists or not.
For example:
Can you give me some pen? (we don’t know if the person we are addressing even has pens)
Do you have any explosive items in your bag? (we don't know, but we assume it)
Therefore, most often we use any in negative and interrogative sentences.
1. When we ask about an item or quantity unknown to us.
We translate Any as “any, any, any, any.” At the same time, we do not know or are not sure whether the person has what we ask; will he agree to give it?
For example: Does she have any magazines to read?
Do you have any information about it?
Do you have any information about this?
Can you lend me any money?
Can you borrow me (some) money?
2. When we say that there is nothing at all in any quantity
For example: I don't have (any) money.
I don't have any fruits.
I don't have (any) fruit.
She doesn't have any idea.
She doesn't have (any) ideas.
Using any in affirmative sentences
However, any can also be used in affirmative sentences in the following cases:
1. In the meaning of “any” (any, everyone)
For example: Any customer will receive a gift upon purchase.
Any child who breaks the rules will be punished.
Any child who breaks the rules will be punished.
I can see you any time on Monday.
I can see you on Monday any time.
Difference between some and any
Some translated as “some, some, several, some.” That is, we use some when we know exactly what things (situation, person) exist, but we don’t know the exact quantity or don’t have an exact idea about it. Therefore, some is most often used in affirmative sentences.
Look at the examples:
However, we can use some in interrogative sentences if we know/see what a person has what we ask.
May I take some books?
Can I borrow some books? (We know that the person has books and ask permission to take them)
Can you give me some pens?
Can you give me some pens? (We see that the person has pens on his desk and that’s why we ask this way)
Anytranslated as “any, any”, and we use it when we don’t know or are not sure that there is some thing (situation, person) or not.
That's why we most often We use any in negative and interrogative sentences.
Look at the examples:
Are there any books on the table?
Are there any books on the table? (We don't see these books and don't know if they are there at all)
There aren't any books on the table.
There are no books on the table. (Not at all)
Do you have any pens?
Do you have any pens? (We don't know if they exist, we don't see it)
I don't have any pens.
I don't have any books. (Not at all)
Let's look at another common example:
I have some money.
I have some money. (We have them, we own them)
Can you give me some money?
Can you give me some money? (We know that a person has money and he can give it)
Can you give me any money?
Can you give me any money? (We don't know if the person has money)
I don't have any money.
I don't have any money. (We don’t have this at all, we don’t own it)
Table of the use of some and any in English
| Offers | Some | Any | |
| Affirmative |
1. We don’t have an exact idea about something/someone (some, some, some) She has some idea. 2. We don’t know the quantity (a few, a little) I need some sugar. 3. Some of the total number(some) Some people like it. |
1. All without exception, any (any, any) Any person likes it. |
|
| Interrogative |
1. We ask for an indefinite amount when we know that the person has it and most likely the answer will be “yes” (a little, several) Can I take some milk? 2. We offer something (a little, several) Would you like some milk? |
1. We ask for an indefinite amount when we don’t know that the person has it (any amount) Do you have any milk? 2. We ask when we don’t have an exact idea about something (any) Do you have any question? |
|
| Negative | 1.
In general there is nothing in any quantity I don't have any milk. I don't have milk. |
||
So, we have examined two indefinite pronouns. If you have any questions, be sure to ask them in the comments. Now let's move on to practice.
Reinforcement task
Translate the following sentences into English, inserting the correct pronoun.
1. My sister has ___ interesting books.
2. You can come at ___ time.
3. Do you have ___ oranges?
4. Can you give me ___ water?
5. ___ people are afraid of the dark.
6. She doesn't have ___ money.
7. Do you need ___ information?
8. ___ person will be able to understand this.
Write your answers in the comments to the article, and I will check them.
Some are used in affirmative sentences, and the pronoun any It is customary to use it in negative and conditional sentences, as well as in general questions.
Most often these pronouns are used with the meaning some, some and several. When they are used before nouns in plural, then they are not translated into Russian as individual words.
He told me some interesting stories. He told me some interesting stories.
Have you got any articles about history? Do you have any historical articles?
She didn`t make any mistakes in her dictation. She didn't make a single mistake in her dictation.
Pronouns can also be used as plural nouns. Examples:
My friend wants to get some new books, and I bought some for him. My friend wanted to get new books and I bought some for him.
She asked me for some papers, but I hadn`t any. She asked me for some paper, but I didn't have any.
Different meanings of pronouns
Some and any can also be used with the meaning some amount, a little and some. Before uncountable nouns:
Give her some water, Fred. Give her some water, Fred.
There wasn`t any sugar in the kitchen. There was no sugar in the kitchen.
Have we bought any ink for our office? Did we buy ink for our office?
Some (and not the pronoun any) is found both in special questions and in general ones, which contain some kind of request.
Where can we get some wine? Where can we get wine?
Why didn't she buy some food? Why didn't she buy food?
Can Greg have some water? Could Greg have gotten some water?
With meaning, the some part is used before uncountable nouns. Examples:
Some of the wheat was packed bags. Some of the wheat was packed in bags.
Some as value approximately used before numerals (together with about).
There were some twenty people in the room. There were approximately twenty people in the room (twenty people).
He waited for friends some ten minutes. He waited for his friends for about ten minutes (ten minutes).
Pronoun any can be used in affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences with the meaning anyone and everyone before countable and uncountable nouns.
We can buy this cheese at any shop. We can buy this cheese in any store.
Can I get this milk at any shop? Can I get this milk in any store?
Derivations from pronouns
The pronouns some and any combined with words such as one, body and thing They also form other indefinite pronouns: someone, somebody - someone and anyone, anyone, anybody, something - something and anything, anything - anything. Such pronouns are always used as subjects or objects. Examples:
Give me something to eat. Give me something to eat.
Someone is looking in the window. Someone is looking out the window.
There isn`t anybody in the classroom. There is no one in the classroom.
Did she meet anyone in the museum? Did she meet someone at the museum?
Pronoun no
The pronoun no is usually used as an adjective pronoun before nouns in both the singular and plural. U no in this case the same meaning as not... but(when it is found in singular countable nouns) and not...any(when it appears before plural countable nouns and before uncountable nouns).
I have no book. = I haven't a book. I don't have a book.
I have no time for a walk today. = I don't have time to go for a walk today.
Instead of no, the pronoun pope is used as a noun pronoun, which replaces a countable noun (singular and plural) and an uncountable noun.
A pronoun is a word that indicates an object or the quality of an object, but does not directly name it. Today we will look at indefinite pronouns( indefinite pronouns) some, any, no in English.
Rules for using some, any, no
Before considering use cases some, any, no, let's find out the translation of these words.
- Some– some, some, some, several.
- Any translated in the same way, and can also be translated as "any".
- No- none, not at all.
The general rule for these pronouns is: some, any, no must come before the noun they qualify. In this function they resemble articles ( a/an And the), which are also used before a noun. Let's look at the table.
| Offer | Example | Countable | Uncountable |
|---|---|---|---|
| + | We need | an (some) apple. some apples. |
some rice. some milk. |
| – | We don't need | a (any) tomato. any tomatoes. |
any rice. any sugar |
| ? | Do we need | a (any) tomato? any tomatoes? |
any rice? any sugar? |
It is important to remember that it is better not to leave a noun unaccompanied by a pronoun or article. And now - to the rules of use some, any, no in English.
- Pronoun some used in affirmative sentences. But it can also be found in interrogative sentences, if we are talking about a request or offer to do something for someone.
There is some portrait on the wall. – There’s a portrait hanging on the wall.
The boys broke some windows in the house. – The boys broke several windows in the house.
Would you like some beer? - Would you like some beer? (offer)
Give me, please, some juice. - Give me some juice, please. (request)
Please note that with singular words some translated as "some" ( some boy- some boy), with the same nouns in the plural - “several” ( some people– several people), but with uncountable nouns – “a little” ( some sugar- a little sugar).
- Pronoun any used in interrogative and negative sentences instead some and means “any, any, any.”
Do you speak any foreign languages? – Do you speak any foreign languages?
Did the manager take any decision? – Has the manager made any decisions?
I did not find any mistakes. - I didn't find any errors.
If any stands in an affirmative sentence, it is translated as “any”, “any”, “whatever”.
Any vegetable is useful for your health. – Any vegetable is good for your health.
Any girl wants to get married. - Every girl wants to get married.
You can catch any of these buses. – You can take any of these buses.
- Pronoun no as a definition it is used with all types of nouns, both singular and plural. It expresses the absence of something and is used only in negative sentences.
John has no furniture in his flat. John doesn’t have any furniture in his apartment.
Fortunately there are no cars in this area. - Fortunately, there are no cars in this area.
Please note the difference between not And no. Not we use for the verb and no– before a noun:
I have no telephone at home. = I have not got a telephone at home. – I don’t have a phone at home.
There are no pupils in the classroom. = There are not any pupils in the classroom. - There are no students in the class.
There is no information in the file. = There is not any information in the file. – There is no information in the file.
You can use any option: no or not any. Just don’t mix them up, because there can only be one negative in an English sentence.
There is no any difference. – There is not any difference or There is no difference. - No difference.
Watch a video from a native speaker to understand the difference between some And any.
Combination of some, any, no with other words
When we talk about people ( people), things ( things), places ( places), we can add some, any, no and get new words. Let's look at the table to see which words we can add these pronouns to.
| About | Some + | Any+ | No + |
|---|---|---|---|
| People people |
Somebody, someone- someone, someone, someone, somebody | Anybody, anyone– anyone, no one, anyone, anyone, anyone | Nobody, no one- no one, no one |
| Things Things |
Something- something, something, anything | Anything- anything | Nothing- nothing, nothing |
| Places Locations |
Somewhere- somewhere, somewhere, somewhere | Anywhere- anywhere, anywhere, anywhere | Nowhere- nowhere, nowhere |
And a few more rules that are worth paying attention to.
- We use somebody, something, somewhere etc., when we do not say exactly who, what or where performs the action.
Somebody broke the window. - Someone broke the window.
He has done something special for me. “He did something special for me.”
I want to go somewhere nice this evening. – I want to go to some cool place in the evening.
- Use anybody, anything, anywhere in questions and with verbs in the negative form.
We didn't do anything last night. – We didn’t do anything yesterday.
My friend didn’t see anybody at the park. – My friend didn’t see anyone in the park.
- Choose nobody, nothing, nowhere, when you give a short answer, and also when the verb is in the affirmative form, but you still build a negative sentence.
Who's in the bathroom? - Nobody. - Who's in the bathroom? - Nobody.
We did nothing last night. – We didn’t do anything yesterday.
- Somebody, nobody used in the same way as someone, no one. There is no difference in their meanings.
Somebody (someone) wants to see you. - Someone wants to see you.
As you can see, there are not many rules. If you study all this, the use some, any, no should not cause any difficulties. At the end, we offer you a downloadable tablet and a test so that you remember the rules for using these pronouns.
Test
Using some, any, no
Pronouns in any language are used to refer to objects so as not to name them every time. Agree, it is impossible to point to something while constantly mentioning the name of the object or a proper name. Pronouns come to our aid. In English they are divided into personal, possessive, reflexive and indefinite.
What are indefinite pronouns?
In English these include some, any, no and their derivatives. Depending on their meaning and place in the sentence, forms formed with the words body, thing, one, where can be used. For example, somebody, anything, none, somewhere. The rule for using pronouns in English is very simple, and after a little practice, as a rule, it does not cause any problems for language learners. The pronouns some, any no, despite the fact that at first glance they mean only “some”, “any” (and in Russian there is no particular difference between these words). In English, there is a clear definition of when to use one or another pronoun.
Rules for using pronouns
The basic rule for using some, any, no depends on the type of sentence: some is found only in affirmative sentences; any - in questions and negatives; no - in negatives, if there is no direct negation. It may be a little unclear, but in reality the rule is easy to remember. If you look at examples of use, it will become extremely clear how to correctly insert pronouns into sentences.
Let's look at how to correctly use some, any, no. The rule is better understood if practiced simultaneously with examples.
Some or any?
Some in statements:
- With plural countable nouns: There are some pictures in the book. - There are several pictures in the book. There are some kindergarden in this district. - There are several kindergartens in the area. I can see some girls in the garden - I can see some girls in the garden.
- With uncountable nouns: I bought some milk. - I bought some milk. I'd like some water, please. - I'd like some water please. After dinner he drank some juice. - After dinner he drank some juice.
In these cases, the pronoun is translated as several, a little, some.
Any should be used in interrogative sentences and negations: I didn’t buy any eggs. - I didn't buy any eggs. We haven't got any milk. - We don't have milk. Are there any pictures in this magazine? - Are there any pictures in this magazine?
If you want to politely offer something to someone, you use some. For example: Would you like some coffee? - Would you like some coffee?
Of the pronouns some, any, no, according to the rule, only any can be used in questions, but there is an exception: the pronoun some can take place in a question if this question is special and contains some kind of request: Can Paul bring some coffee? - Could Paul bring some coffee?
Every rule has some caveats. So when using some, any, no there is an exception to the rule:
- The pronoun any should be used if we are talking about some person or object (in this case it does not matter which one specifically) from an indefinite number of the same objects: I haven’t got any paper. - I don't have paper. This example is not about any specific paper.
- In sentences with barely, except, hardly, little, never, no longer, no sooner, rarely, scarcely, rarely, unfortunately, without, avoid, deny, fail, forbid, object, prevent, prohibit, refuse, reject, the pronoun some is used instead any.
- Indefinite pronouns beginning with any are used in sentences beginning with if, and are not used as the subject of negative ones: If anybody would like to attend the presentation, it can be arranged.
Pronoun no. Negation with verbs in the affirmative form
The pronoun no can only be used in negative sentences, if there is no direct negation: There are no flowers in our garden - There are no flowers in our garden. In this sentence, the verb is in the affirmative form, while the sentence itself has a negative meaning.
The pronouns some, any, no, as a rule, have a clear definition when used. But we must remember that the pronouns any and no are interchangeable. "How?" - you ask. One thought in English can be expressed in both affirmative and negative form. Let's look at an example:
I haven't any book in my room
I have no book in my room.
Both sentences are translated and have the same meaning - There are no books in my room.
The sentences sound grammatically correct in both versions. And they are translated into Russian the same way.
Translation of pronouns into Russian
If the countable noun is plural, then the pronoun is translated by the words some, several, some. If the noun is singular, then you can use the words some, some. Uncountable nouns can be translated into Russian with the words a little and some.
One of the translation options depends on the presence of the preposition of after the pronoun, which in this case is translated into Russian as “any of”, “any of”:
Some of you have to go to the shop - some of you should go to the store.
Did you taste any of these cakes? - have you tried any of these cakes?
In the case below, the pronoun some can be translated as “part of something”:
Some of the milk was used in baking - some of the milk was used in baking.
Derivations from indefinite pronouns
Indefinite pronouns have their derivatives, which, depending on combination with other nouns, can be used in very great variety proposals.
Derivatives can be applied to animate and inanimate objects, place. The pronoun some can be applied to animate objects in two word forms: somebody - translated as anyone, and someone - can be translated as somebody.
Despite the fact that derivatives of indefinite pronouns are used with singular verbs, the pronouns that replace them are plural: they, them, their or themselves. Someone has forgotten their umbrella, haven’t they?
Examples of using derivatives from pronouns:
- In affirmative sentences. I'd like something to drink. - I'd like a drink. She asked someone to help her. - She asked someone to help her.
If the countable noun is plural, then the pronoun is translated with the words some, several, some. If the noun is singular, you can use the words some, some. Uncountable nouns can be translated into Russian words A little And some.
One of the translation options depends on the presence of the preposition of after the pronoun, which in this case is translated into Russian any of, any of:
Some of you have to go to the shop. - One of you should go to the store.
Did you taste any of these cakes? - Have you tried any of these cakes?
The use of some, any, no in English is very diverse; it is also translated into Russian in different combinations.
In the case below, the pronoun some can be translated as part of something: Some of the milk was used in baking. - Some of the milk was used in baking.
- In negative sentences. The question was so difficult that nobody could answer. - The question was so difficult that no one knew the answer. She asked nobody to help her. - She didn't ask anyone to help her.
- In questions. Is there anything to eat in the house? - At home There is What- someday eat? Did you go anywhere in the weekend? - Did you go anywhere on the weekend?
If you want to speak like a true Englishman, you need to constantly practice your skills and theoretical knowledge. With the help of exercises, the rules for the pronouns some, any, no are improved and memorized much more effectively.
To do this, you can test yourself and make a few examples. In this exercise you need to correctly use indefinite pronouns in the correct form:
There are … buses today and I can’t go shopping. Please don’t offer her … chips. Are there … newspapers on the table? Do you like some apples? My sister doesn’t like… carrots. Do you want…milk in your tea? There is…ham on the table. There is ... tea in the cup: the cup is empty.
If you are sure that you are using pronouns correctly, then you can begin the task on using derivative pronouns:
I know there is… wrong with my computer (something). I could hear...: it was quite noisy (nothing). Give me... to drink (something). Is there …that you want to tell me (anything)? What do you want to eat? - I’m not hungry. Don’t tell… about it (anyone). Is there ..in the office (anybody)? I saw... in the bus today who looked like me (somebody). Has ... in this group got a dictionary (anybody)?
Pronouns and their derivatives are used very often in both written and spoken form. Therefore, if you did the above exercises on using some, any, no correctly, you can safely show off your knowledge of indefinite pronouns.
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