The main idea: the quantity is unspecified
In a question, any shows that we do not know whether there is any quantity at all. In a negative, not + any says that the quantity is zero.
Any does not make a sentence negative on its own. Negation must appear in the verb: don't, doesn't, isn't, aren't, can't or a similar form.
neutral question: question form + any + noun; negative: negative verb + any + noun
- verb / V —
- A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
- noun —
- A word naming a person, thing or idea: student, book, happiness.
Do you have any questions?
Do you have any questions?
The speaker neutrally checks whether there is at least one question; yes and no are both possible answers.
I don't have any cash.
I don't have any cash.
The negative is in don't; any concerns an unspecified quantity of cash.
Any in negative sentences
With most Present Simple verbs, put don't or doesn't before the base verb and any before the noun. After doesn't, the verb has no -s ending.
With be, isn't or aren't already contains the negative. In there is/are, the noun after any determines the choice of is or are.
I/you/we/they + don't + verb + any + noun; he/she/it + doesn't + verb + any + noun; there isn't/aren't + any + noun
- verb / V —
- A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
- noun —
- A word naming a person, thing or idea: student, book, happiness.
She doesn't need any help.
She doesn't need any help.
Doesn't forms the negative, need stays in the base form, and help is uncountable.
There aren't any buses after ten.
There aren't any buses after ten.
Buses is plural, so use aren't any.
Any in neutral questions
In a question with any that leaves the expected answer open, the speaker simply wants to know whether the relevant quantity exists. They are not steering the listener towards yes.
With an ordinary verb, the question starts with Do or Does. Be needs no extra auxiliary: Is there any...? or Are there any...?
Do/Does + subject + verb + any + noun?; Is/Are + there + any + noun?
- subject / S —
- The grammatical subject: who or what the clause is about; the verb agrees with it. In The book was written, the book is the subject, although someone else does the action.
- verb / V —
- A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
- noun —
- A word naming a person, thing or idea: student, book, happiness.
Does Maya have any tickets?
Does Maya have any tickets?
Does precedes the subject, have takes the base form, and tickets is plural.
Is there any water in the bottle?
Is there any water in the bottle?
Water is uncountable, so the there is construction uses Is.
Which noun to put after any
In its basic unspecified-quantity meaning, any naturally combines with uncountable nouns: any water, any information, any money.
Use plural countable nouns: any chairs, any emails, any shops. A neutral question about one item usually needs a/an: Do you have a pen?
any + uncountable noun; any + plural countable noun; a/an + singular countable noun
- noun —
- A word naming a person, thing or idea: student, book, happiness.
We don't have any information.
We don't have any information.
Information is uncountable, so do not add -s.
Are there any clean cups?
Are there any clean cups?
Cups is a plural countable noun.
Do you have a ticket?
Do you have a ticket?
This concerns one countable item, so a simple neutral question uses a rather than any ticket.
Word order and the complete structure
Any goes immediately before the noun, or before an adjective and noun: any seats, any free seats. It does not move to the end of the phrase.
The whole question's word order matters, not just any. Do/Does is followed by the subject and then the base verb.
Does + subject + base verb + any + adjective + plural/uncountable noun?
- subject / S —
- The grammatical subject: who or what the clause is about; the verb agrees with it. In The book was written, the book is the subject, although someone else does the action.
- verb / V —
- A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
- V1 / base form —
- The base verb without to: work, go, be.
- noun —
- A word naming a person, thing or idea: student, book, happiness.
- adjective —
- A word describing what someone or something is like: happy, tired, interesting.
Does this train have any free seats?
Does this train have any free seats?
Any precedes free seats, and have does not change after does.
I can't find any clean glasses.
I can't find any clean glasses.
Can't supplies the negative meaning; any precedes the adjective clean and plural glasses.
Contrast with some in questions
Any is the usual choice for a neutral question. Some can also be grammatical in a question when the speaker expects yes, offers something or requests something.
This rule practises neutral information questions with any. Offers and requests with some belong to a neighbouring skill, so a grammatical some version should not be called an error without context.
Do you have any water with you?
Do you have any water with you?
This neutrally checks whether water is available.
Would you like some water?
Would you like some water?
This is an offer; some is natural, but that communicative function is not the rule's main target.
Scope and using the rule in speech
In an affirmative, any can have a different, strong meaning: whichever one, no matter which. Choose any seat is grammatical, but it is not an unspecified quantity in a question or negative.
For your own response, first identify the communicative action: neutrally checking availability or reporting absence. Then choose a question or negative form, put any before the appropriate noun and check the noun's number.
Choose any seat.
Choose any seat.
Any means no matter which. This is a correct affirmative, but its meaning lies outside the main exercise.
We don't need any chairs. Do we need any tables?
We don't need any chairs. Do we need any tables?
The first sentence reports no need; the second neutrally checks another possible need.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:I have any money.
Correct:I don't have any money.
To mean that you have no money, a negative verb is needed; any does not create negation by itself.
Incorrect:Does Ravi has any brothers?
Correct:Does Ravi have any brothers?
Does requires the base form have without -s.
Incorrect:Are there any milk left?
Correct:Is there any milk left?
Milk is uncountable, so the there is/are construction requires is.
Incorrect:We don't need any informations.
Correct:We don't need any information.
Information is uncountable in this meaning and has no informations form.
Incorrect:Do you have any ticket?
Correct:Do you have a ticket?
A simple neutral question about one countable item requires a; weak any combines with plural tickets.