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Do you have any?
Some and any are words we use to express a not specific amount of things, we need
to be careful though as they must be used in different situations. Below you will see
how.
SOME
We use some when we need to express a not specific amount of things. These next
cases are the most common situations where we can find some:
• Affirmative Sentences.
Examples:
1. I need some papers. (The person needs a not specific amount of papers).
2. She will be in London for some days. (This person doesnt know how many days).
• Requests.
Requests are questions we use to ask for something we need or we want to a person.
Examples:
1. Can I have some napkins? (This person is not asking for 1 o 10 napkins, he just
needs some napkins).
2. Could you give me some money? (This person is not asking for a specific amount
of money)
• Offerings
Offerings are those polite questions we ask to offer things (food, drinks, etc.) to
people.
1. Do you want some coffee? (This person is not offering a cup of coffee but not
speficic amount of it).
2. Would you like some popcorns? (This person is not offering certain amount of it).
IMPORTANT!.
We use some when we know the existence of the things we are asking for. Imagine
you are in a big taco shop and you want sodas for you and your friends, probably you
can see the fridges with sodas inside so you would ask the waiter using this next
question: “Excuse me waiter, can we have some sodas?”.
Any
We use any to express a not specific amount but in different cases than some, we can use any
in the next cases.
• Negative sentences.
IMPORTANT!
When using any in a negative sentence the meaning of any is ZERO. Examples:
1. I don’t have any money (This person has zero dollars, pesos, euros, etc.).
2. There isn´t any bread in the pantry. (This person has zero amount of bread).
• Questions of existence
This type of questions are those we use to espress the existences of things, the most commo
examples are: “Is there…?, Are there…?, Do you have?. In this case the meaning of any is a
not specific amount. Examples:
1. Are there any limes at home? (This person is asking for the existence of limes in his/her
house).
2. Is there any bear in the zoo? (This person wants to know about the existence of a bear in
the zoo).
3. Do you have any siblings? (This person wants to know if the other person has one or more
brothers and sisters).
IMPORTANT!
´We use any we we don’t know the existence of things. Imagine you are in a small taco shop
probably on the Street and once again you want sodas for you ad your friends, but in this taco
shop you can not see any fridges so would ask the waiter the next question “Excuse me, do
you have any sodas?”.
Excercises:
Complete the sentence using the correct word according to the case.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Can I have _______salt?.
Do you have _______ body cream?.
Would you like _______ lemon for your soup?
Is there _______ person at reception?
Are there _______ doughnuts in the bakery?
Could we have _______ time alone?
Are there _______ tacos?