Some vs Any | Ask Linda! | English Grammar

“Some” and “Any” are two words that often cause confusion. In this video Linda explains the difference between the two. “Some” is a determiner used for positive statements while “any” is a determiner used in questions and negative statements. For example, “I asked the teacher if he could give me some paper. I said ‘Excuse me, have you got any paper?’ Unfortunately, he didn’t have any.” The first statement is positive so we use “some”. The second is a question so we use “any”. The third sentence is a negative statement so we use “any” again.

It should be noted that we do sometimes use “some” in questions and we also use “any” in positive statements. We use “some” in questions when making an offer or request “Would you like some tea?” We use “any” in positive statements when it follows a word with a negative or limiting meaning “We rarely have any problems with it.”