100 Mistakes #3 - 'any' is not negative

'Any' is used in questions and negative sentences but it is not negative in itself.

Let´s talk about cheese!

"Do we have any cheese?"

This a general, unspecific question about cheese. I´m not asking about the type of cheese. I just want to know if there is any.

any = unspecific, it is not important what kind

If the answer is 'yes', you're now talking about something specific.

"Yes, we have some Cheddar and some Gorgonzola."

Notice that 'some' doesn't tell us anything about quantity.

If the answer is no, it will remain unspecific.

"No, we don´t have any cheese."

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If you go to the World's Greatest Cheese Shop, and ask them if they have any cheddar, they will say, "Yes madam, we have 12 types of cheddar."

If you go to the World´s Greatest Cheese Shop, and ask them if they have any ham, they will say, "I'm sorry madam, we don´t have any ham."

We don`t have any ham = We have no ham

Note that there is only one negative in a negative sentence: 'not', in the first, and 'no', in the second.

If you go to the World´s Greatest Cheese Shop, and ask them what kind of cheese they have, they will say, "We have any cheese you can think of, madam!"

We have any cheese you can think of = it doesn't matter what kind of cheese you think of, we have it...

Manchego?

Yes.

Red Leicester?

Yes.

Goat's cheese?

Several varieties.

Double Gloucester?

Yes.

Camembert?

Of course.

Cornish Yarg?

Certainly.

Wyfe of Bath?

Yes.

Cheshire?

Yes, madam. I told you, we have any cheese you can think of. We are, after all, the World's Greatest Cheese Shop.