Compound nouns made with SOME, ANY and NO
Some + -thing -body -one -where
Any +
No +
Compound nouns with some- and any- are used in the same way as some and any.
Positive statements:
Examples
* Someone is sleeping in my bed.
* He saw something in the garden.
* I left my glasses somewhere in the house.
Questions:
Examples
* Are you looking for someone? (= I'm sure you are)
* Have you lost something? (= I'm sure you have)
* Is there anything to eat? (real question)
* Did you go anywhere last night?
Negative statements:
Examples
* She didn't go anywhere last night.
* He doesn't know anybody here.
NOTICE that there is a difference in emphasis between nothing, nobody etc. and not ... anything, not ... anybody:
Examples
* I don't know anything about it. (= neutral, no emphasis)
* I know nothing about it (= more emphatic, maybe defensive)
SOMETHING, SOMEBODY, SOMEWHERE
Examples
* I have something to tell you.
* There is something to drink in the fridge.
* He knows somebody in New York
* Susie has somebody staying with her.
* They want to go somewhere hot for their holidays.
* Keith is looking for somewhere to live.
ANYBODY, ANYTHING, ANYWHERE
Examples
* Is there anybody who speaks English here?
* Does anybody have the time?
* Is there anything to eat?
* Have you anything to say?
* He doesn't have anything to stay tonight.
* I wouldn't eat anything except at Maxim's.
NOBODY, NOTHING, NOWHERE
Examples
* There is nobody in the house at the moment
* When I arrived there was nobody to meet me.
* I have learnt nothing since I began the course.
* There is nothing to eat.
* There is nowhere as beautiful as Paris in the Spring.
* Homeless people have nowhere to go at night.
ANY can also be used in positive statements to mean 'no matter which', 'no matter who', 'no matter what':
Examples
* You can borrow any of my books.
* They can choose anything from the menu.
* You may invite anybody to dinner, I don't mind.
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