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'Any, not any, no' and 'none'

'Any' means 'some', or 'even the smallest amount or number of.'


There are three shirts on the table. You can choose any


Is there any ice cream left?
There was hardly any food left by the time we reached home.
A: Could you give me some butter?
B: Sorry, there isn't any butter in the refrigerator.
A: Could you give me some soup?
B: No, I'm afraid there isn't any left.
Have you seen any of Lester's films?
Do you know any way to contact him?

'Any' also means 'a particular type of person or thing when it is not important which.'
When you're hungry you can eat any food.
There are three shirts on the table. You can choose any.
Any of you should be able to do it.
He will be here any time.
As an adverb 'any' means 'at all.'
Are you feeling any better?
Vehicles are not cheap any more.

'Not any' is negative.
I didn't get any letters today.
I haven't got any books on astrology.
There isn't any milk in the bottle.
Ravi doesn't have any work at university.
The hotel doesn't have any vacant rooms.
The policeman didn't ask me any questions.
We didn't find any bookshops in the city.
I haven't got any Russian friends.

No
We can use 'no' instead of 'not ... any.' 'No' is more emphatic than 'not ... any.'
There is no bread.
He speaks no English.
She has written no letters to me.
I had no difficulty in understanding her.
There are no buses after midnight.
'No' means 'not any' or 'not one.'


My house is not big


There are no pictures in this book.
He has no telephone, no television and no worries.
There is no chance of meeting him today.

'No' or 'Not'
We use 'no' before the comparative form of an adjective.
My house is no bigger than yours.
In other forms, we use 'not.'
My house is not big.

Before 'many, much' and 'enough' we use 'not.'
There were not many people at the meeting.
There is not much activity here.
This is not enough for me.

None
Before 'of' we use 'none.'
There is none in the house.
None of them phoned me.
None of these telephones work.
A: How many children have you got?
B: None.
None of us can play the violin.


Match words and meanings

Here's an exciting way to enrich your vocabulary. Match the words in column 'A' with their meanings in column 'B' and check your answers with the key. The first one has been done for you.

[Column A]

Y 1. cursory
... 2. curtail
... 3. curvature
... 4. curvy
... 5. cushy
... 6. cusp
... 7. custody
... 8. customary
... 9. customer
... 10. customise
... 11. cutback
... 12. cute
... 13. cuticle
... 14. cutlery
... 15. cutoff
... 16. cutout
... 17. cutters
... 18. cyan
... 19. cyanide
... 20. cybercrime
... 21. cyberpet
... 22. cyclone
... 23. cygnet
... 24. cynosure
... 25. cyst

[Column B]

A. the stage of being curved
B. a person who buys goods or services
C. a reduction in something to save money
D. the act of stopping the supply of something
E. a tool for cutting something
F. a shape that has been cut out from something
G. the thin skin at the base of the nails
H. pleasant and attractive
I. the legal right to care for someone
J. the dividing line between two very different things
K. containing a lot of curves
L. to stop something before it is finished
M. a deep greenish-blue colour
N. crime committed using the Internet
O. a violent tropical storm
P. person or thing that attracts a lot of attention
Q. a round growth just under the skin
R. a young swan
S. an electronic toy that behaves like a pet
T. an extremely powerful poison
U. knives, forks and spoons
V. to make something according to the buyer's needs
W. usual
X. very easy
Y. quick and probably not detailed

Key:

2. L 3. A 4. K 5. X 6. J 7. I 8. W 9. B 10. V 11. C 12. H 13. G 14. U 15. D 16. F 17. E 18. M 19. T 20. N 21. S 22. O 23. R 24. P 25. Q


The possessive forms and 'of'

We use the possessive of a noun in phrases such a the following

Singular nouns


Take this armchair to the grandfather's room.


Take this armchair to the grandfather's room.
I don't know the girl's name.
Do you know Sam's address?
Rani's house has three bedrooms.
Michel's motorcycle is very old.

Plural nouns ending in 's'

He stays in the boys' hostel.
The tourists' bags were left in the waiting room.
The nurses' strike has crippled the hospital services.
The pensioners' grievances must be redressed.
They are repairing the ladies' toilet.

Plural nouns not ending in 's'
That shop sells men's clothes.
We enjoyed the children's dance.
Who supplies the policemen's uniforms?
Politicians woo people's votes.

We normally use the possessive with people and animals.
I'm going to my friend's house.
Amanda's essay won the first prize.
Paul's brother is in my class.
Our neighbour's garden is better than mine.
We couldn't find the dog's owner.

We normally use 'of' with things.
The roof of the house has caved in.
Do you know the results of the match?
We can meet our friends on the day of the convocation.
The clip of my pen is missing.

We use 'of' with people when there is a long phrase.
This is the house of one of my friends.
I cannot remember the names of the people I met at the conference.
Can you remember the faces of honest men you've met?
The handwriting of some doctors is illegible.
The unruly behaviour of some undergraduates has brought disrepute to universities.
We use the possessive form and 'of' for places and organisations.
Have you been to Colombo's newest arcade?
How often do you visit the Museum of Colombo?
The company's future is uncertain.
The future of the company is uncertain.
The government's measures to eliminate terrorism have succeeded.
The measures of the government to eliminate terrorism have succeeded.

The possessive of time

Did you read today's newspaper?
Yesterday's news is stale now.
After two minutes' silence the meeting began.
If you want to resign, you have to give one month's notice.
This year's prices of commodities are higher.
From here it is one hour's drive to the Pettah Floating Market.
I just want five minutes' rest.
What is this month's special offer to customers?
I'll see you in a week's time.

Quiz on idioms

An idiom is a special kind of phrase. It is a group of words which have a different meaning when used together from the one it would have if the meaning of each word were taken individually. Tick the meaning of each idiom in bold and check your answers with the key.

1. Anushka is a carbon copy of her mother...
(a) they are identical
(b) they are different
(c) they think alike

2. If something is on the cards ...
(a) it is very unlikely to happen
(b) it is very likely to happen
(c) it will never happen

3. If you lay your cards on the table ...
(a) you indicate that you have a secret plan
(b) you tell someone that you are ready to play cards
(c) you tell someone the truth about your feelings

4. If you play your cards right ...
(a) you use your skills to gain an advantage
(b) you use your skills to dupe the other person
(c) you use your skills to gain an undue advantage

5. If someone is on the carpet ...
(a) they are in a happy state of mind
(b) they are in trouble for doing something wrong
(c) they are ready to fight

6. If you roll out the red carpet for someone ...
(a) you give them a special welcome
(b) you ignore them
(c) you don't like them

7. If you sweep something under the carpet ...
(a) you try to ignore it
(b) you try to expose it
(c) you try to hide it

8. If someone dangles a carrot in front of you ...
(a) they try to persuade you to do something by offering you a reward
(b) they threaten you to do something
(c) they try to give you expensive gifts

9. If someone carries all before them ...
(a) they are successful in an activity
(b) they are unsuccessful in an activity
(c) they are confused

10. If you put the cart before the horse ...
(a) you're making a mistake by doing things in the wrong order
(b) you are doing the right thing
(c) you don't know what to do

Key:

1. (a) 2. (b) 3. (c) 4. (a) 5. (b) 6. (a) 7. (c) 8. (a) 9. (a) 10. (a)

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