Some and Any – English Grammar Exercises for A1
You and your roommate are standing in the supermarket, checking your shopping list to see if you have missed anything that needs to be bought.
Read the conversation and choose the correct word (a, b, or c) to fill in the blank.
1 “Look at the list. Do we need ______ milk?”
(a) some
(b) any
(c) a
2 “Yes, let’s buy ______ milk for tomorrow’s breakfast.”
(a) a
(b) any
(c) some
3 “Wait, I don’t see ______ apples in our cart.”
(a) any
(b) some
(c) an
4 “Don’t worry, I already picked up ______ green apples over there.”
(a) any
(b) a
(c) some
5 “Are there ______ good discounts on chicken today?”
(a) some
(b) a
(c) any
6 “I want to make a salad. Do we have ______ lettuce at home?”
(a) any
(b) some
(c) a
7 “No, we don’t have ______ vegetables left in the fridge.”
(a) a
(b) any
(c) some
8 “Okay, then I will get ______ fresh lettuce and tomatoes right now.”
(a) some
(b) any
(c) a
9 “Did you put ______ sugar in the basket?”
(a) some
(b) a
(c) any
10 “No, because we still have ______ sugar in the kitchen cupboard.”
(a) a
(b) some
(c) any
11 “I can’t find ______ cheap pasta in this aisle.”
(a) any
(b) some
(c) a
12 “Let’s ask the staff. Excuse me, could you give us ______ help?”
(a) any
(b) a
(c) some
13 “We are organizing a party tonight, so we should buy ______ snacks.”
(a) any
(b) some
(c) a
14 “Oh, we also need to get ______ cheese for the pizza.”
(a) some
(b) any
(c) a
15 “I checked the bakery section, but there wasn’t ______ fresh bread left.”
(a) some
(b) a
(c) any
16 “That’s okay. But we must buy rice. We don’t have ______ rice at all.”
(a) any
(b) some
(c) a
17 “The list says we need butter, but I hardly see ______ butter on the shelf.”
(a) some
(b) any
(c) a
18 “Look! The sample counter is open. Would you like ______ free cheese?”
(a) any
(b) some
(c) a
19 “I’m so thirsty after all this walking. Can we buy ______ cold drinks now?”
(a) some
(b) any
(c) a
20 “Sure. Just make sure we don’t forget ______ important items on this list.”
(a) some
(b) a
(c) any
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (b) any
- Why it’s correct: This is a standard Yes/No question checking if an item is needed (“Do we need…?”). We use “any” for general inquiries.
- Error Analysis: (a) “some” is not used for standard information-seeking questions. (c) “a” is a structural error because “milk” is uncountable.
2 (c) some
- Why it’s correct: An affirmative (+) statement. The speaker agrees and suggests buying an unspecified amount of milk (“let’s buy…”).
- Error Analysis: (b) “any” violates the positive sentence rule. (a) “a” is grammatically incorrect with “milk”.
3 (a) any
- Why it’s correct: The sentence is negative (“don’t see”).
- Error Analysis: (b) “some” is a common error when learners forget to switch quantifiers in negative sentences. (c) “an” is incorrect because “apples” is plural.
4 (c) some
- Why it’s correct: An affirmative statement confirming that the items have already been collected (“I already picked up…”).
- Error Analysis: (a) “any” is not used in basic affirmative sentences. (b) “a” is wrong with the plural noun “apples”.
5 (c) any
- Why it’s correct: A general question asking if something exists (“Are there…?”).
- Error Analysis: (a) “some” is incorrect for general questions. (b) “a” is wrong with the plural noun “discounts”.
6 (a) any
- Why it’s correct: A standard Yes/No question checking what is left at home (“Do we have…?”).
- Error Analysis: (b) “some” is a common trap. (c) “a” is incorrect because “lettuce” is generally treated as an uncountable noun.
7 (b) any
- Why it’s correct: The verb is negative (“don’t have”).
- Error Analysis: (c) “some” is the typical student mistake in negative structures. (a) “a” is incorrect with the plural noun “vegetables”.
8 (a) some
- Why it’s correct: An affirmative statement declaring an intention to get items (“I will get…”).
- Error Analysis: (b) “any” is wrong in positive statements. (c) “a” is a structural error because it doesn’t match the uncountable “lettuce” and plural “tomatoes”.
9 (c) any
- Why it’s correct: A question checking if an action was done (“Did you put…?”).
- Error Analysis: (a) “some” is an incorrect choice for standard questions. (b) “a” is wrong with the uncountable noun “sugar”.
10 (b) some
- Why it’s correct: An affirmative statement confirming that the item is still available at home.
- Error Analysis: (c) “any” violates the positive sentence rule. (a) “a” is incorrect with “sugar”.
11 (a) any
- Why it’s correct: A negative sentence (“can’t find”).
- Error Analysis: (b) “some” is a common trap. (c) “a” is grammatically wrong because “pasta” is uncountable.
12 (c) some
- Why it’s correct (Exception – Request): “Could you give us…” is a polite request asking for a favor. When making requests, we break the question rule and use “some”.
- Error Analysis: (a) “any” is the biggest trap for learners who blindly apply the “questions take any” rule. (b) “a” is incorrect because “help” is uncountable.
13 (b) some
- Why it’s correct: An affirmative statement declaring a shopping intention (“we should buy…”).
- Error Analysis: (a) “any” is wrong in affirmative statements. (c) “a” is wrong with the plural noun “snacks”.
14 (a) some
- Why it’s correct: An affirmative statement (“we need to get…”).
- Error Analysis: (b) “any” is incorrect. (c) “a” is wrong because “cheese” is an uncountable noun.
15 (c) any
- Why it’s correct: The second clause is negative (“wasn’t”).
- Error Analysis: (a) “some” is incorrect for negative statements. (b) “a” is wrong with uncountable “bread”.
16 (a) any
- Why it’s correct: A strongly negative sentence (“don’t have”).
- Error Analysis: (b) “some” is a common error. (c) “a” is wrong with uncountable “rice”.
17 (b) any
- Why it’s correct (Hidden Negative): The word “hardly” means “almost not.” Because it carries a negative meaning, you must use “any.”
- Error Analysis: (a) “some” is a major trap because the sentence lacks an explicit “not.” (c) “a” is wrong with “butter.”
18 (b) some
- Why it’s correct (Exception – Offer): “Would you like…” is an offer of food. Offers always take “some.”
- Error Analysis: (a) “any” is a distractor due to the question mark. (c) “a” is wrong because “cheese” is uncountable.
19 (a) some
- Why it’s correct (Exception – Request): “Can we buy…” is a request/suggestion hoping for a positive answer. Therefore, we use “some.”
- Error Analysis: (b) “any” is the question mark distractor. (c) “a” is wrong with plural “drinks.”
20 (c) any
- Why it’s correct: The clause is negative (“don’t forget”).
- Error Analysis: (a) “some” is the typical error. (b) “a” is wrong with plural “items.”
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
In the context of shopping or checking inventory, the pair “some” and “any” act as a natural “Q&A” mechanism:
1 Use “ANY” for Checking (?)
When you look at your list and ask your partner if an item is needed or if it exists in the cart, you are asking a general information question. You must use “ANY”.
- Example: Do we need any milk?
- Example: Are there any apples in the cart?
2 Use “SOME” for Confirming (+)
When you answer “Yes” and confirm that you will buy the item or that you already picked it up, use “SOME” in your positive sentence.
- Example: Yes, let’s buy some milk.
- Example: I already got some apples.
3 Use “ANY” for Reporting Missing Items (-)
If you check the shelf or the cart and the item is not there, use a negative sentence with “ANY”. Watch out for hidden negative words like hardly!
- Example: We don’t have any rice.
- Example: I hardly see any butter.
4 The Exception: Offers and Requests (?)
Even in a supermarket, remember the golden exception: if your question is an offer (Would you like…?) or a request to buy something you want (Can we buy…?), you must use “SOME”.