These questions ask you to choose among negative noun phrases and pronouns, or between some and any. Decide first whether the negative meaning belongs in the verb phrase, the noun phrase, or a pronoun, and use only one negative pattern for one negative meaning.
Locate the negative meaning
| Meaning and signal | Form to choose |
|---|---|
| Absence expressed inside a noun phrase | Use no directly before the noun and keep the verb positive: “There are no towels upstairs.” |
| Absence expressed through the verb | Negate the verb and put any before the noun: “There aren't any plates outside.” |
| Zero members of a known set | Use none, often alone or with of: “None of the paint was dry.” With none of plus a plural noun, singular and plural agreement are both standard. |
| No person or no thing | Use nobody or no one for people and nothing for things, followed by a positive verb. Write no one as two words. |
| An affirmative report, offer, or request expecting agreement | Some is the usual choice: “Could I have some water?” |
| A neutral negative or an open yes-no question | Any is usual: “We didn't hear any bells” and “Are there any seats?” |
| Free choice in an affirmative clause | Any means whichever member is chosen, with no preference: “Take any clean cup.” |
Equivalent absence patterns can often be rewritten: “The room has no windows” and “The room doesn't have any windows” express the same basic lack. During a prescribed rewrite, keep to the requested pattern. In ordinary standard English, do not carry no across when you have already negated the verb.
Common choice traps
- No is combined with a negative verb. Both elements already negate the clause, so use either a positive verb plus no or a negative verb plus any for one negative meaning.
- A negative pronoun is followed by another negative. Nobody and nothing already supply the negative meaning; the following verb should stay positive. Also choose the pronoun by reference: people take nobody or no one, while things take nothing.
- None is treated like a determiner directly before an ordinary noun. Use no before a noun; use none alone or in a none-of phrase when a set is understood.
- Some and any are selected only by whether a sentence has question punctuation. An open question normally uses any, but a genuine offer expecting possible agreement normally uses some. In an affirmative free-choice statement, any has the special meaning of whichever one.
Try it
Choose the standard spelling in the sentence about people: "___ knew the safe combination."
- Nothing
- None person
- No one
- Noone
The usher means that every unoccupied place is permitted, with no preference. Complete: "You may choose ___ empty seat in the back row."
- none
- no
- any
- not any
Transform "There isn't any milk in the staff fridge" using the no plus noun construction. Replace [isn't any] to complete: "There ___ milk in the staff fridge."