Grammar in focus
Form
| people (-one / -body) | things (-thing) | places (-where) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| some- | someone, somebody | something | somewhere |
| any- | anyone, anybody | anything | anywhere |
| no- | no one, nobody | nothing | nowhere |
| every- | everyone, everybody | everything | everywhere |
Use
- some-: positive sentences, and offers or requests: There's someone at the door. Would you like something to drink?
- any-: questions and negatives: Did you see anyone? I didn't buy anything.
- no-: negative meaning with a positive verb: Nobody called. There is nothing in the fridge.
- every-: all of them: Everyone is here. I looked everywhere.
Watch out
- Only one negative:
I don't have nothing→ I don't have anything / I have nothing. - They take a singular verb:
Everybody are happy→ Everybody is happy. - Use some- in offers: Would you like something to eat?
En español
Someone = alguien, anyone = alguien / nadie (preguntas y negativos), no one / nobody = nadie, everyone = todos. Igual con -thing (cosas) y -where (lugares). Solo una negación por frase.
US vs UK
This book teaches American English. These are the differences you will notice with British English on this topic.
🇺🇸 USSomebody / someone
🇬🇧 UKSomebody / someone
Both forms are used everywhere; -body is slightly more informal.
Ambas formas se usan; -body es un poco más informal.
🇺🇸 USEveryone has their own opinion.
🇬🇧 UKEveryone has their own opinion.
Their with everyone is standard in both varieties.
Their con everyone es estándar en ambas.
🇺🇸 USAnywhere / anyplace (informal US)
🇬🇧 UKanywhere
Anyplace, someplace and noplace are informal American forms.
Anyplace y someplace son formas americanas informales.
Exam practice
- Five parts, like a certification exam: multiple choice, open cloze, error identification, sentence transformation and US vs UK.
- Typed answers accept American spelling and contractions (don't = do not).
- Every item has feedback in English and Spanish. Items and options change order on every attempt.
- Only Exam mode saves your score to your progress. You pass with 70%.
Practice mode
No timer. Check each part as you go and read the feedback.
Exam mode
25 minutes. Feedback at the end. Your best score is saved.