I don't think some / any of the boys have green shirts

@mark999789,

mark999789 wrote:

Should it be some or any, and why?

I do realize that using "some" here could be awkward, but regardless, I'm wondering which answer is gramatically correct.

THANK YOU!!!

Either one would be grammatically correct, but the choice would depend on what you're trying to convey. If you say "any" you are saying that NONE of them have green shirts. "Some" means part, but not all.

1 Reply

@layman,

How about the idea that "any" is used with negative sentences, and "some" with positive ones? Soif we want to give the sentences the meaning "
partm not all".... then instead of saying "some", we should say "all of", "most of" etc?

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@mark999789,

Also, how about the idea that the answer should be "some", because "some" should be used with a verb that is plural?

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@mark999789,

Sorry, but I don't follow (i.e. agree with the premises of) either of those "ideas," Mark.

For one thing, "some" is not the same as "most," which, at a minimum, means more than half (it could be much more).

"Some" could be more than half, but not necessarily, and not usually--it could refer to a small minority (which "most" could not mean).

1 Reply

The question is, can "any" be used with both "have" and "has" (plural verb and singular verb).

1 Reply

@mark999789,

mark999789 wrote:

The question is, can "any" be used with both "have" and "has" (plural verb and singular verb).

No, I don't think both can be used. "Have" would be proper, as used in the sentence in issue. "Boys" is plural.

"Anyone" would use "has," in some cases, because that is singular. But even with that, you wouldn't ask: "Does anyone HAS a pencil?" In that case there is an implicit reference to a group.

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@layman,

Thanks for your thoughts. Here's a similar sentence:

I don't think any of the companies have adopted the new technology yet.

Is that OK? I have read different things in different places... that "any" requires a singular verb, and that it doesn't. Perhaps it's debatable?

1 Reply

@mark999789,

mark999789 wrote:

Thanks for your thoughts. Here's a similar sentence:

I don't think any of the companies have adopted the new technology yet.

Is that OK? I have read different things in different places... that "any" requires a singular verb, and that it doesn't. Perhaps it's debatable?

Yeah, that's perfectly acceptable.

Any doesn't "require" any such thing, as far as I know. It would depend on the context. In this sentence, "any" is just a quantifier, it's not the subject of the sentence. "Companies" is.

The "singular" would be: "I don't think any company has adopted the new technology yet."

1 Reply

@layman,

Thanks very much for your comprehensive and helpful replies.

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@mark999789,

You're quite welcome.

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@layman,

layman wrote:

For one thing, "some" is not the same as "most," which, at a minimum, means more than half (it could be much more).

To be accurate, I should correct this. "Most" generally means more that half, but that too would depend on the context. "Most" can also mean the highest number among various alternatives.

For example, neither Trump nor Clinton got a majority of the votes in the last election (because some voted for other presidential candidates on the ballot). But it would still be accurate to say that Clinton got the "most" votes.

But if you're just talking about two alternatives, then "most" would always mean more than half. "The most" is a little different, for reasons I've just stated.

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@layman,

Quote:

But even with that, you wouldn't ask: "Does anyone HAS a pencil?" In that case there is an implicit reference to a group.

You again highlight how little you know about English, layman. English speakers don't use HAS because 'Does' marks for number, in this case grammatically singular 'anyone'.

1 Reply

@mark999789,

'some' reflects that the speaker has some knowledge of the situation as to how many of the boys have green shirts and is presenting that knowledge.

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@camlok,

camlok wrote:

Quote:
But even with that, you wouldn't ask: "Does anyone HAS a pencil?" In that case there is an implicit reference to a group.

You again highlight how little you know about English, layman. English speakers don't use HAS because 'Does' marks for number, in this case grammatically singular 'anyone'.

Wrong. As usual, you have it completely backwards. The word "does" "marks" no number at all. It is chosen BECAUSE the question is implicitly addressed to a group, which is plural, not because it is what makes them a group.

Even sssuming "anyone" was was "grammatically singular" in this context, as you (incorrectly) claim, then you would ask "Do you...." not "Does you....," so you're just plumb wrong on multiple scores.

No semi-literate person would ask "Do anyone have a pencil?"

3 Replies

@layman,

Quote:

t is chosen BECAUSE the question is implicitly addressed to a group, which is plural, not because it is what makes them a group.

More accurately, the question is posed, collectively and simultaneously, to every member of a group, i.e., multiple people.

You could instead ask "Do any of you have a pencil," but that's not the phrasing in issue here

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@layman,

I think you've got it backwards. Anyone is grammatically singular but you is grammatically plural, or maybe it's more accurate to say you, like I, conjugates in the plural form even when referring to just one person.

Do you have a car... do they have a car... do we have a car... do I have a car...

Does she have a car... does he have a car... does anyone have a car.

Have is inconsequential in this type of construction because it's do/does that gives a suggestion as to the number of people involved in a given sentence. I think that's what camlok was getting at.

3 Replies

@layman,

Quote:

The word "does" "marks" no number at all. It is chosen BECAUSE the question is implicitly addressed to a group, which is plural, not because it is what makes them a group.

Not only don't you know anything about English, you are eager to leap to the fore to highlight your ignorance.

What auxiliary verb does this example sentence with 'anyone' as the subject require?

1. _____ [Do/Does] anyone have a pencil?

2. Does the auxiliary verb 'does' match with he/she/it?

Quote:

Even sssuming[sic] "anyone" was was[sic] "grammatically singular" in this context, as you (incorrectly) claim, then you would ask "Do you...." not "Does you....," so you're just plumb wrong on multiple scores.

We are not talking about the pronoun 'you'; it isn't even on the table as regards this discussion.

Is 'anyone' grammatically single or is it grammatically plural?

Quote:

No semi-literate person would ask "Do anyone have a pencil?"

You may well do such a thing. I've seen your posts and you are close to semi-literate.

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@perennialloner,

No, you're only looking at one side of the picture, Perry. Would you ask:

Does you have a car... does they have a car... does we have a car... does I have a car.

Would you ask;

Do she have a car... do he have a car... do anyone have a car

"Do" and "does" are not simply interchangeable.

2 Replies

@layman,

Well, no? I thought that's what I said. Does is used for nouns and pronouns that conjugate in the singular form I believe, whereas do is used for noun and pronouns that conjugate in plural forms.

In this way, I think it could be said that do/does marks for number.

It's have that's used either way in this construction. You highlighted HAS as wrong because of an implicit reference to a group. It would be have even if there wasnt that reference.

1 Reply

I don't think some / any of the boys have green shirts

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