SOME
I’ve got some friends in Russia.
She bought some cheese yesterday.
– in a question if it is a polite request and we expect a positive answer.
Will you have some milk?
Would you like some coffee with your cake?
Some is used with uncountable and plural nouns. A, an is used with singular countable nouns in the meaning of “some”.
Would you like some apples?
Would you like an apple?
ANY
You can use any car. (Whichever you wish.)
John was able to fix the car without any help.
– in a question: some.
Did you know any people there?
Do you have any sugar?
– in a negative sentence (not+any): no.
I don’t know any Australian sportsmen.
We don’t have any money on us.
NO (must always be followed by a noun)
There is no bus stop here. (A bus stop is not here.)
She has no friends.
NONE (must not be followed by a noun)
They’ve got none at the moment.
The recipe called for cinnamon, but there was none in the house.
Note:
- we never place articles before these
- some and any can stand independently
- use of somebody, something, somewhere, anybody, anything, anywhere, nobody, nothing, nowhere is governed by the same rules
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