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From: "Kenneth M. Lin" <kenneth_m_lin@sbcglobal.net>
Newsgroups: alt.languages.english
References: <wzmgl.14482$yr3.5016@nlpi068.nbdc.sbc.com> <i6n4o498iaos7arah3vfjjime5kqjnj91u@4ax.com>
Subject: Re: Use of the word "any"
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Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:16:57 -0800
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So how come people say "Anybody there?" instead of "Anybodies there?"
"Egbert White" <eggwhite@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:i6n4o498iaos7arah3vfjjime5kqjnj91u@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 29 Jan 2009 10:28:25 -0800, "Kenneth M. Lin"
> <kenneth_m_lin@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
>>I was always taught that the word "any" should be followed by a singular
>>noun unless you specify that it's plural, such as "any two persons can
>>play." However, I have seen people saying "any questions" even though
>>that
>>any implies just one. Can someone enlighten me?
>>
> A dictionary can. For example, the on-line dictionary at m-w.com has,
> among other definitions of the adjective 'any':
>
> one, some, or all indiscriminately of whatever quantity
>
> and for the pronoun 'any' it says in part:
>
> any thing or things
>
> --
> Egbert White, | "I love Americans, but not when they try
> Planet Earth | to talk French. What a blessing it is that
> | that they never try to talk English."
> | -- Saki's Mrs. Mebberley
|
|