Q:
The use of any in front of a singular noun talks about EACH thing or person of a particular type. The use of any in front of a plural noun talks about ALL things or people of a particular type. A:
What does it exactly mean? Is it correct to use the plural noun in the following sentence 'If you have any problems please let me know,' to mean any problems, whether one or two or more? The speaker is not thinking of any particular single problem, but problems as a whole. Or in the sentence, 'Do you have any pen?,' it means any single pen can do. Should we say 'any questions'? Terence Posted 24 February 2003
In your sentence, 'If you have any problems, please let me know,' any means one possibility among an infinite number of problems. As you say, the speaker is not thinking of a particular problem, but of one or another, or perhaps more than one. The concept of 'each' singular noun contrasted with 'all' plural nouns is not relevant here - any can refer to one or to all, to several or to some part of. It can also refer in general to all the members of a class or a group. The general meaning of any, according to Michael Swan (Practical English Usage, Oxford University Press, 1995) is:
Any is a determiner. It generally suggests an indefinite amount or number, and is used when it is not important to say how much/ how many we are thinking of. Because of its 'open,' non-specific meaning, any is often used in questions and negative clauses and in other cases where there is an idea of doubt or negation (p. 48).The sentence, 'Do you have any pen?' is not native. Any, as you know, is often used in questions and in negative sentences, but usually with plural count nouns or with noncount nouns: Do you have any children?When any appears with a singular noun, it can appear in an affirmative sentence, as described here by Swan (p. 50):
Any can be used to emphasise the idea of free choice, with the meaning of 'it doesn't matter who/which/what.' With this meaning, any is common in affirmative clauses as well as questions and negatives, and is often used with singular countable nouns as well as uncountables and plurals. In speech it is stressed.
Ask any doctor - they'll all tell you that alcohol is a poison.
She goes out with any boy who asks her. 'When shall I come?' 'Any time.' Can I get a meal here at any time of the day? I don't do just any work - I choose the jobs that interest me.
Swan also says (p. 49):
Any is very often used with uncountable and plural nouns. It can have the same kind of meaning as the indefinite article a/an has with singular countable nouns:
I haven't got a car, and I haven't got any money to buy one. Is there a tin-opener in the house? And are there any plates?
With this meaning, any is unusual with singular countable nouns.
She hasn't got a job. (NOT: She hasn't got any job.)
Do you know a good doctor? (NOT: Do you know any good doctor?)
With this explanation, you can see that your sentence, 'Do you have any pen?' should be, instead:
Do you have a pen?
Your sentence: 'Do you have any questions?' is correctly formed.
To read a related message, see Any + singular or plural noun?
The indefinite pronoun any can be singular or plural; forexample:
Is any left?
All his books are well written. Any are worthreading.
The word any is also an adjective and an adverb.
Any with singular or plural noun. E.g. Any clouds or any cloud or both work?
Any is a determiner and pronoun. It can be used with both singular and plural nouns, e.g.: Do you have any idea? - singular Do you have any ideas? - plural Is there any possibility you can forgive me? - singular Are there any possibilities for investors? - plural
Can you give 100 examples of plural pronoun?
No, because there are not 100 plural pronouns. The plural pronouns are: we us you (can be singular or plural) they them these those our ours your (can be singular or plural) yours (can be singular or plural) their theirs ourselves yourselves themselves both few fewer many others several all (can be singular or plural) any (can be singular or plural) more (can be singular or plural) most (can be singular or plural) none (can… Read More
Examples of the singular and plural nouns?
A singular noun is a word for one person, place, or thing. A plural noun is a word for two or more persons, places, or things. EXAMPLES: singular: apple plural: apples singular: boy plural: boys singular: car plural: cars singular: door plural: doors singular: egg plural: eggs singular: frog plural: frogs singular: guest plural: guests singular: house plural: houses singular: island plural: islands singular: joke plural: jokes singular: knee plural: knees singular: lady plural: ladies… Read More
Is you a plural or singular?
You is plural or singular, depending on context. In most cases, context is sufficient to clear any ambiguity.
What is an example of a singular subject?
I, you, he, she, one I is singular You is singular/plural He/She/One is singular We is plural They is plural
Is the noun after the word 'any' singular or plural?
It can be either one. examples: Do you have any boys in your class? (boys = plural) Is there any girl who wants to play football? (girl = singular)
Are the following words singular or plural practitioner sofa satellite clips dentist dollars article magazines laminator radios?
practitioner is singular (plural practitioners) sofa is singular (plural sofas) satellite is singular (plural satellites) clips is plural (singular clip) dentist is singular (plural dentists) dollars is plural (singular dollar) article is singular (plural articles) magazines is plural (singular magazine) laminator is singular (laminators is plural) radios is plural (singular radio)
What singular three-letter word has a plural form that doesn't have any of the letters in the singular form?
The singular form is cow an archaic plural for cow is kine
Is are or is plural or singular?What is singular and plurals?
A 'singular' (singular noun) is a word for one person, place, or thing. A 'plural' (plural noun) is a word for two or morer persons, places, or things. EXAMPLES singular: teacher plural: teachers singular: city plural: cities singular: book plural: books singular: child plural: children singular: island plural: islands singular: tooth plural: teeth
Is coat singular or plural?What is plural form for any?
Adjectives such as the word 'any' are the same whether used to describe a singular or plural noun.
Is the word devices singular or plural?
Generally any word ending with 's' is plural, making devices plural Device would be singular Hope my answer helped CuriousJade x
How do you change a plural pronoun to singular form?
In most cases, the singular pronoun and the corresponding plural pronoun are different words, for example: I is the singular subjective, we is the plural subjective me is the singular objective, us is the plural objective you is the same for singular and plural, subjective and objective he, she, and it are the singular subjective, they is the plural subjective him, her, and it are the singular objective, them is the plural objective
Is who singular or plural?What is plural and what is singular for the word she?Would museum be plural singular plural possessive or singular possessive?
Museum is singular. Museum's is singular possessive. Museums is plural. Museums' is plural possessive.
Does singular or plural?
Verbs cannot be singular or plural. Does is after singular nouns.
Is has is singular or plural?
Verbs cannot be singular or plural. Has is after singular nouns.
Is have is singular or plural?
Verbs cannot be singular or plural. Have is after plural nouns.
Is wilderness singular or plural?
The noun wilderness can be singular or plural; wilderness is the singular, wildernesses is the plural form.
Is the word has singular or plural?
Verbs cannot be singular or plural. Has is after singular nouns.
Is Has-- singular or plural?
Verbs cannot be singular or plural. Has is after singular nouns.
Is colony singular or plural?Is wolf is singular or plural?Is tooth singular or plural?Is wolves singular or plural?![]() Is ellipsis the singular or plural?Is the word are singular or plural?Is nurse singular or plural?
The word nurse is singular. The plural would be nurses. An example sentence for the singular is: she wants to be a nurse when she is older. An example sentence for the plural is: the nurses rushed to his aid.
Is thou a plural or a singular?Is icon singular or plural?Is comics plural or singular?Is notebook singular or plural?Is the word have plural or singular?
'Have' may be singular or plural: I have; we have.
Is diagnoses singular or plural?Is corps plural or singular?What is plural for he she it?
The plural form for the singular, subjective he or she is they. The plural form for the singular, subjective it is they. The plural for the singular, objective it is them. And even though you didn't ask, I will throw in for no extra charge: The plural form for the singular, objective him or her is them.
What does singular and plural mean?
if a word refers to a single item it is singular. if it refers to lots of things it is plural. 'Potato' is singular 'potatoes' is a plural word. 'mouse' is singular, 'mice' is a plural word. 'person' is singular, 'people' is a plural word.
Is niece's singular or plural?
Niece's is a singular possessive noun. niece - singular nieces - plural niece's - singular possessive nieces' - plural possessive
Is ran a singular or plural verb?
Verbs cannot be singular or plural. Ran comes after singular and plural nouns though.
Status is singular or plural?
Singular: status Plural: status, statuses So, status could be either singular or plural.
Is bison both singular and plural?![]()
Bison is both singular and plural. If you say a bison it is singular, if you say the bison it is plural.
Is the word public singular or plural?
Both singular and plural - as in I am a member of the public (singular) or This land is for the use of the public (plural)
What is the plural of sheep man child?
The irregular plural forms of these nouns are: singular = sheep; plural = sheep singular = man; plural = men singular - child; plural = children
Do I drop the y and add ies for a possessive noun?
No, a possessive noun is formed by adding an -'s (or just an -' to the end of plural nouns already ending in -s) to the existing singular or plural noun; for example: singular=apple, singular possessive=apple's; plural=apples, plural possessive= apples' singular=boy, singular possessive=boy's; plural=boys, plural possessive=boys' singular=car, singular possessive=car's; plural=cars, plural possessive=cars' The nouns that drop the -y and add -ies is to form the plural are nouns ending in -y preceded by a consonant… Read More
What pronoun takes a plural verb?
Pronouns that take a plural verb are: we, you, they, and these; and any combination of singular pronouns will take a plural verb, such as 'You and I..'.
Is don't singular or plural?
plural They don't know me. -- plural She doesn't know me. -- singular
Is the word mumps singular or plural?
Mumps is plural. But it is both singular and plural is construction.
What is the plural of was?
Were is the plural form (and the second person singular) for the verb was. Examples: Singular: I was there. You were there. He was there. It was there. Plural: We were there You were there. They were there.
A collective noun refers to a type of noun that encompasses “a whole group as a single entity” as well as the members of that group. It is considered singular in form.
For example, words like faculty, herd, and teamare collective nouns—they’re singular words but represent a group. There are collective nouns for people, animals, objects, and concepts.
Collective nouns differ from mass nouns (water, electricity, happiness, referring to an indefinitely divisible substance or abstract notion) in that mass nouns nearly never take indefinite articles (a/an; we would almost never say *a happiness) or generally don’t have plural forms.
So, do I use a singular or plural verb with a collective noun?
Generally, in American English, collective nouns take singular verbs, e.g., The government is intervening in the crisis.
No Other Plural Or Singular
In British English, however, collective nouns are often treated as plural in form and so take plural verbs, e.g., The government are intervening in the crisis.
Nevertheless, the use of a singular or plural verb can depend on the context of the sentence.
If you are referring to the whole group as a single entity, then the singular verb is best.
For instance: The school board has called a special session or the faculty eats the donuts. When a group noun is used with a singular determiner (a/an, each, every, this, that, etc.), singular verbs and pronouns are common, like in this sentence: The team is away this weekend; it has a good chance of winning.
There are other contexts where the plural verb is more natural: My family are always fighting among themselves. When the individuals in the collection or group receive the emphasis, a plural verb (and pronoun) works well.
Are there any other useful guidelines?
The collective noun number, when preceded by a, takes a plural verb: There are a number of reasons why I didn’t go. When preceded by the, number takes a singular verb: The number of dogs in the park was incredible.
Couple and pair, when referring to people, favor a plural verb. For instance: The new couple showed off their fabulous wedding pictures.
What are some other common collective nouns?
Here’s a handy shortlist for your quick reference:
WATCH: Two Nerdy Steps To Take To Improve Your Vocabulary
While I was answering a question on ELL, I got confused with a comment from a fellow user. After I indicated that:
'Do you have any idea to prove it?'
is grammatically correct, the OP commented that 'ideas' should be used in place of 'idea'.
The comment befuddled me. I thought until now that 'any' should be followed by singular noun and not plural. So I searched Google and saw it's a huge debate going on and there is no end to it. I got no perfect and trustworthy source. So I thought to post the question here.
So what is the right rule? Should singular or plural be used after 'any'?
Mistu4uMistu4u
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4 Answers
The correct use changes depending on the sentence:
Do you have any idea how to do this?
Do you have any idea what to do? Do you have any ideas for me? Do you have any ideas for how to do this? Rimworld how to get more steel.
It seems that, if the singular or plural noun (idea) is directly connected by a subordinating conjuction (how / what / where / which / that), you use the singular; if it's modified by a prepositional phrase (for..) or by nothing at all, you use the plural.
Without using all that grammar jargon, I'd say use the singular if it's followed by how, what, that, who, whom, whose, which, etc, and use the plural otherwise.
kiamlaluno
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edseds
The NOAD (New Oxford American Dictionary) has a note about using any:
When used as a pronoun, any can be used with either a singular or a plural verb, depending on the context: 'we needed more sugar but there wasn't any left' (singular verb) or 'are any of the new videos available?' (plural verb).
In 'English Grammar' (David Daniels & Barbara Daniels, ISBN 0-06-467109-7), any is listed between the pronouns that can be either plural or singular, among all, more, and some.
Looking for 'do you have any idea for' on the Corpus of the Contemporary American English, I get a single sentence.
But what happened was that the network came to us—because we have a little production company that does my specials—and said, do you have any idea for a show?
Looking for 'do you have any ideas for,' I get three sentences:
Do you have any ideas for the next movie?
Well, then,' said Avette, 'do you have any ideas for another topic?'
Do you have any ideas for me?
Looking for 'do you have any idea(s) to,' I get the following sentences:
Do you have any idea to this day how you stacked up against the men?
So, do you have any ideas to help cows and sheep stop with the gas problem?
Do you have any ideas to boost union membership?
As side note, the Corpus of Contemporary American English doesn't have any example of the phrases I searched for the period 2010-2012. The sentences containing 'any ideas to/for' are dated 2005-2009 (the most recent ones), while the sentences containing 'any idea to/for' are dated 1995-1999.
kiamlalunokiamlaluno
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Conjugating “to do” demonstrates that “does” is used with a (third person) singular object. Now, since “Do any here object?” sounds right, but “Does any here object?” doesn’t suggests that “any” regards a plurality. Also, the fact that the word “anyONE” exists at all suggests that “any” refers to a plurality.
PhilDPhilD
If you have learnt a rule that 'any' can only be connected with a singular noun it is wrong. 'Any' can be used with singular or plural according to sense.
Is there any question? The speaker indicates that there is probably no more than one question.
Are there any questions. The speaker indicates that there might be several questions.
See OALD http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/any_1
rogermuerogermue
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