INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
Here belong the pronouns some and any with their compounds and the indefinite substitute one.
SOME AND ANY
These pronouns indicate persons and things indefinitely as "a certain quantity or quality". They are used as noun — and more often — adjective-pronouns with both singulars and plurals, countables and uncountables.
Some are wise and some are otherwise. Some people are early risers. She was expecting someone. Come any time you like. Does anyone know what is happening?
These pronouns regularly occur in certain types of sentences, which depends on their meaning.
We use some when we are positive about the actual existence of something-or somebody and any when we deny or inquire, about the existence of something or somebody. Therefore some and its compounds are mostly used in affirmative sentences, whereas any and its compounds are generally used in interrogative and negative sentences, or in conditional clauses. The meaning of some can be interpreted in Russian as некоторый, некоторое количество, any — какой-либо, сколько-нибудь.
I've got some news to tell you. You have some doubt, haven't you? Have you got any objections? If you have any difficulty, ask me for help.
Any is also common with" "negative" words, such as, hardly and without,
He has hardly any time. I got it without any difficulty.
However, the use of some or any does not so much depends on the type of a sentence as on their lexical meanings.
Some and its compounds occur in interrogative sentences when the question is really an invitation or a request; it can also be used when the answer "Yes" is expected.
May I have some paper? Will you have some coffee? I've heard a knock; is there someone at the door?
Any and its compounds may be used in affirmative sentences with the meaning of indifference.
Any schoolboy knows it. You can buy stamps at any post-office. Anybody will show you the way.
Compare:
I wish you would tell me something about it; any information is better than none.
The compound indefinite pronouns in -body and -one indicate persons, those in -thing stand for things. They can be accompanied by the particle else.
I don't know; ask somebody else. Someone has left his notebook... Who can it be? There is something strange about his manners, isn't there? It isn't any use to anyone. I don't know anything about it. Did he say anything else?
The compounds in -body and -one may be used in the possessive.
He attended to anybody's business but his own; I can't see that it is anyone's business but mine.
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