Hi all,

This is actually not for a fic - but it might help someone else who is working on a fic, so that's why I'm posting it here...

This is to help one of my level one classes who asked a question, and then I realized that I wasn't sure of the answer. I told them I would check it out on the internet, but I couldn't find anything in any of the online grammar guides that I turned up. So I thought I'd check with the FoLCs, since I *know* that several of you are also English teachers...

Anyway, it has to do with the correct word to use -'some' or 'any' in a question. We learned that you must use 'any' in a question, 'some' in an affirmative answer, and 'any' in a negative answer. For eg, 'Do you have any milk?' 'Yes, I have some.' Or, 'No, I don't have any.' The students are doing great with that, but then our book comes up with 'Is he going to visit some relatives next weekend?' Is this question correct???? Why or why not?

(Be aware that our books do have a lot of mistakes in them, both grammar and spelling and punctuation. They are twenty years old and badly need re-editing and re-release - and they are working on it, in the head office, but there aren't very many anglophones on the textbook committee, so I don't have any hope that they will edit things right...)

Melisma (under her Rock, *so* not being patient for Thursday, when she leaves to return to Canada!!!)

Possibly.

Link

I'm really not an English teacher <G> but I recall my 5th (or 6th?) grade teacher saying this:

We can use 'some' if we think it's possible and 'any' if we think it's not possible.

Example:
If I ask you 'Do you want some coffee?', it means that I believe you do want coffee.
If I ask you 'Do you want any coffee?', it means that I believe you don't want coffee.

But, somehow, what you said doesn't sound right. I think even 'any' doesn't sound right.

I would try instead 'Is he going to visit any of his relatives next weekend?' or just 'Is he going to visit his relatives next weekend?'

AnnaBtG.

Well, my gut reaction was, "No, this is not correct." It just didn't sound right.

Having just read Rivka's link, I have to say that it makes sense to me. It states that 'any' is used in questions which are requests for information, and 'some' is used in questions which are "a method of making a request, encouraging or giving an invitation". (I had to laugh when I read this, because I've been following this 'rule' all my life, without being aware that it existed!)

Following these instructions we get:

Is he going to visit any relatives this weekend?

and

Would you like to visit some relatives this weekend?

Does that help?

- Vicki