Can you start a sentence with the word some

Упражнения на отработку использования some, any, no, a также их производных (something, anything, nothing / somebody, anybody, nobody /somewhere, anywhere, nowhere) помогут вам закрепить знания по данной теме. Если упражнения показались сложными – предлагаю повторить правила использования some, any, no.

SOME, ANY, NO exercises.

Exercise 1. Write in a, an, some or any.

1. Is there _____ milk in the  crystal glass?

— No, there isn’t _____ milk in the crystal glass

There’s _____ juice in the crystal glass.

2. — Are there_____ sausages on the round plate?

-There aren’t _____  sausages on the round plate.

There are _____ sandwiches on the round plate.

3. -Is there_____ glass on the wooden table?

— No, there isn’t  _____ glass on the wooden  table.

There’s _____ cup on the wooden table.

Exercise 2. Write in a, an, some, any.

1. There’s ______angel on the top.
2. There are ______ornaments on the tree.
3. Are there ______lights on the tree?
4. There isn’t ______Christmas tree in the house.
5. There’s ______ jam on the wooden table.
6. Is there  ______bread in the basket?
7. There aren’t  ______ vegetables in the fridge.

Exercise 3. Complete the sentences with some/any/no.

1. There is _______  tea in the crystal  glass, but it is very hot.
2. There is  _______  fresh milk in the fridge. I can’t make porridge.
3. Are there ________  tasty apples in the bag?
4. There isn’t _______  jam on the round plate.
5. There are _______  bananas on the wooden  table. They are yellow.
6. There is  ________ butter on the plate.
7. There is ________ cheese on the table, but there’re ____________ cheese sandwiches.
8. There isn’t  _________ sausage on the table.
9. There are  ____________ potatoes in the bag.
10. There aren’t ______________  bananas on the table, but there are ________  cucumbers there.

Exercise 4. Complete the sentences with the words

Cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage, apples, carrots

There is some fresh ________ on the wooden table. There aren’t any ___________ in the big bag, but there are some ________ there. There are no green ________ on the table, but there are some tasty red _________ there.

Exercise 5. Read the sentences. Draw your picture.

There is some food in the fridge. There is some cheese on the shelf. There are some sausages to the right of the cheese. There are two cucumbers on the shelf. There is a red tomato to the left of the cucumbers. There is some cabbage behind the tomato.

Exercise 6. Choose the correct item.

1. Is there some/any butter in the fridge?
2. There isn’t any/no bread in the bag.
3. There are some/any cucumbers on the table.
4. There are any/no potatoes in the box.
5. There is/are some cheese on the shelf.

Exercise 7. Ask questions to the given answers.

1. Yes, there’re some yellow tomatoes in the fridge.
2. No, there isn’t any hot chocolate in the cup.
3. Yes, there are some cheese sandwiches on the round plate.
4. No, there is no salt on the shelf.

Exercise 8. Fill in some/any/no.

1. There is ______  milk in the cup, but it is very cold.
2. There is  ______   bread on the table. I can’t make sandwiches.
3. Are there ______ oranges in the bag?
4. There isn’t ______ cheese in the fridge.
5. There are______  flowers in the vase. They are red.
6. There are ______ carrots in the fridge. I can’t make soup.
7. There is ______  coffee in the cup, but it is very hot.
8. Is there  ______  cheese in the fridge?
9. There isn’t  ______  juice in the glass.
10. There are ______   grapes on the plate. They are green.
11. They’ve got ______ buns in this shop.
12. I’d like ________ potatoes, please.
13. Have you got ______  ice-cream?
14. There aren’t ___________ boys in the team!
15. There are ___________ video shops in the town!
16. This is a terrible party. There isn’t ________ good music!
17. I’ve got  ___________ posters of Ricky Martin.
18. Have you got ___________ posters of Britney Spears?
19. ‘Sit down, please.’ ‘But there aren’t ___________ chairs!’
20. There is ______ milk in the fridge. Go to the shop and buy ______.
21. I can see______ tomatoes in the bag. Let’s make______ salad.
22. There aren’t ______cucumbers in the fridge.
23. Would you like ______tea?
24. Is there ______cheese on the shelf?

 Exercise 9. Correct the sentences.

1. Are there any milk in the fridge?
2. There is no tomatoes in the salad.
3. Is there some sugar in this coffee?
4. There are some hamburger on the menu.
5. I’d like any potatoes, please.
6. There are some jam on the bread,
7. There’s some fly in my soup.
8. We’ve got some banana.
9. There isn’t some money in my pocket.
10. There is some posters on the wall.
11. Is there a salt in this soup?

Exercise 10.  Read the dialogue. Fill in the gaps with some, any, or a / an.

A.  I’d like ________ (1) vegetable soup with bread, please.

B.  I’m afraid we haven’t got________   (2) vegetable soup today. But we’ve got________ (3) milk soup.

A.  I don’t like milk soup. I’ll have________ (4) vegetable salad.

B.  Vegetable salad. Anything else, sir?

A.  Chicken with boiled potatoes.

B.  I’m sorry, but we haven’t got________ (5) chicken. But you can have ________ (6) steak. And there is spaghetti or chips instead of boiled potatoes.

A.  All right. ________ (7) steak and ________ (8) chips. Have you got  ________ (9) juice or is there any

water?

 B. Of course, sir. We’ve got ________ (10) orange and apple juice.

A.  Have you got________ (11) tomato juice?

B.  Yes, it’s Spanish.

A.  That’s fine. And cheese. I’d like ________ (12) cheese and ________ (13) fruit salad.

B,  Would you like ________ (14) ice-cream?

A, Yes, please. One ice-cream.

Упражнение 11.  Вставьте some, any, no

1. I was terrified that _______disaster was waiting for me.
2. They didn’t make_______mistakes.
3. I don’t think _______of us ought to wish the result to be different.
4. There were_______people in the room. It was empty.
5. Now that he lived in the country he seldom had _______visitors.
6. I have_______money left. I’ve bought a very expensive book.
7. When we were on holiday, we visited_______very interesting places.
8. I went out to buy_______milk but they didn’t have_______in the shop.
9. He is_______good as a pianist.

 Exercise 12. Choose the correct answer. Write the story in your notebook.

 Liz is shopping. She wants to buy (1 — anything / some / any) new clothes. She is going to a New Year party tonight, but she has got (2 — anything / nobody / nothing) to wear. She wants to buy (3 — some / any / something) nice and (4 — no / some / any) new shoes but she can’t find (5 — something / anything / anybody) that she likes. She is also looking for a present. She wants to buy (6 — nothing / anybody / something) special for her friend.

Exercise 13. Complete the dialogue. Use the words from the box.

 something, anybody, nobody, somebody

Granny: Tom, Jane, Max! Can __________ (1) help me tidy up? __________ (2) answers. Where are they?

Max: Granny! There’s__________ (3) in this room. Are you talking to yourself?

Granny: No, I’m not talking to myself. I’m asking __________ (4) to help me do __________ (5) about the

Max: OK. Can __________  (6) help Granny about the house? Tom, Jane, where are you? Come here, I want you to help Granny.

Exercise 14. Fill in the blanks with the necessary pronouns (some, any, anything, something, everybody, everything, no etc.):

1. Is there ______ interesting in the magazine? 2. There are______books on the table. 3. ______in the house is clean and good. 4. There is______here. 5. She will tell us______about her work. 6. She doesn’t want______new dress. 7. Is he going ______ today? 8. Good morning, ______ . 9. He never goes by train, he goes______by aeroplane. 10. They want a house, they have ______ to live. 11. Is______coming to see us today? 12. There aren’t______pencils in the box. 13. I didn’t see ______ yesterday, I was at home.

Exercise 15. Вставьте вместо пропусков местоимения some, any и их производные.

1. Why are you looking under the table? Have you lost anything/ something?
2. Do they live somewhere / anywhere near Suvorov Street?
3. There is anything / something in my soup. It’s mosquito!
4. I’m thirsty. Can I have some / any cold juice?
5. He can do the job alone. He doesn’t need anybody else’s / somebody else’s help.
6. We cannot close our eyes to the facts some / any longer.
7. If anybody / somebody asks about me I’m at Kate’s.
8. She can’t have lost the tickets! They have got to be anywhere / somewhere!
9. I’ve lost my way! Isn’t there anyone / someone who could direct me to Victory Square?
10. There is hardly anybody / somebody to be seen on the streets of the centre after dusk.
11. David decided that he needed to do anything / something constructive with his life.
12. Will you show me some / any of your latest sculptures?
13. «What would you like to drink?» «Oh, anything / something. Whatever you’re having will be fine!»
14. Tom was in bad mood and refused to go somewhere / anywhere.

Ответы к упражнениям.

Упражнение 1.

1 any, any, some, 2 any, any, some, 3 a / any, any, a

Упражнение 2.

1 an, 2 some, 3 any, 4 any, 5 some, 6 any, 7 any

Упражнение 3.

1 some, 2 no, 3 any, 4 any, 5 some, 6 some / no, 7 no, some  /  some, no, 8 any, 9 some / no, 10 any, some

Упражнение 4.

Possible answer: Cabbage, carrots, apples, cucumbers, tomatoes

Упражнение 5.

Your own picture

Упражнение 6.

1 any, 2 any, 3 some, 4 no, 5 is

Упражнение 7.

1. Are there any yellow tomatoes in the fridge?
2. Is there any hot chocolate in the cup?
3. Are there any cheese sandwiches on the round plate?
4. Is there any salt in the shelf?

Упражнение 8.

1 some, 2 no, 3 any, 4 any, 5 some, 6 no, 7 some, 8 any, 9 any, 10 some, 11 some / no, 12 some, 13 some, 14 any, 15 some / no, 16 any, 17 some / no, 18 any, 19 any, 20 no, some, 21 some, some, 22 any, 23 some, 24 any

Упражнение 9.

1 are =>Is, 2 is => are, 3 some => any, 4 hamburger => hamburgers, 5 any => some, 6 are => is, 7 some => a, 8 banana=> bananas, 9 some => any, 10 is => are, 11 a => any

Упражнение 10.

1 some, 2 any, 3 some, 4 some, 5 any, 6 a, 7 a, 8 some, 9 some, 10 some, 11 any, 12 some, 13 some, 14 some.

Производные some, any no

Упражнение 11.

1 – some, 2 – any, 3 – any, 4 – no, 5 – any, 6 – no, 7 – some, 8 – some / any, 9 — no

Упражнение 12.

1 some, 2 nothing, 3 something, 4 some, 5 anything, 6 something

Упражнение 13.

1 anybody, 2 nobody, 3 nobody, 4 somebody, 5 something, 6 anybody

Упражнение 14.

1 anything, 2 some /no, 3 everything, 4 nobody, 5 everything, 6 any, 7 anywhere, 8 everybody, 9 everywhere, 10 nowhere, 11 anybody, 12 any, 13 anybody / anything

Упражнение 14.

1   Something, 2 somewhere, 3 something, 4 some, 5 anybody else’s, 6 any, 7 anybody, 8 somewhere, 9 anyone, 10 anybody, 11 something, 12 some / any, 13 anything, 14 anywhere

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In general we use some (also somebody/someone/something) in positive sentences and any (also anybody etc.) in negative sentences:
1 some
* We bought some flowers.
* He’s busy. He’s got some work to do.
* There’s somebody at the door.
* I’m hungry. I want something to eat.

2 any
* We didn’t buy any flowers.
* He’s lazy. He never does any work.
* There isn’t anybody at the door.
* I’m not hungry. I don’t want anything to eat.

We use any in the following sentences because the meaning is negative:
* She went out without any money. (She didn’t take any money with her.)
* He refused to eat anything. (He didn’t eat anything.)
* Hardly anybody passed the examination. (= almost nobody passed)

In most questions we use any:
* ‘Have you got any luggage?’ ‘No, I haven’t.’
* ‘Has anybody seen my bag?’ ‘Yes, it’s under the table.’

But we use some in questions when we expect the answer ‘yes’:
* What’s wrong? Have you got something in your eye? (It seems that you have got
something in your eye and I expect you to answer ‘yes’.)

We use some in questions when we offer or ask for things:
* Would you like something to eat?
* Can I have some sugar, please?

We often use any after if:
* If there are any letters for me, can you send them on to this address?
* If anyone has any questions, I’ll be pleased to answer them.
* Let me know if you need anything.

The following sentences have the idea of if:
* I’m sorry for any trouble I’ve caused. (= if I have caused any trouble)
* Anyone who wants to do the exam must give me their names today. (= if there is anyone)

We also use any with the meaning ‘it doesn’t matter which’:
* You can catch any bus. They all go to the centre. (= it doesn’t matter which bus you catch)
* ‘Sing a song.’ ‘Which song shall I sing?’ ‘Any song. I don’t mind.’ (= it doesn’t matter which song)
* Come and see me any time you want.
* ‘Let’s go out somewhere.’ ‘Where shall we go?’ ‘Anywhere. I don’t mind.’
* We left the door unlocked. Anybody could have come in.

Compare something and anything:
* A: I’m hungry. I want something to eat.
B: What would you like?
A: I don’t mind. Anything. (= something, but it doesn’t matter what)

Somebody/someone/anybody/anyone are singular words:
* Someone is here to see you.

But we often use they/them/their after these words:
* Someone has forgotten their umbrella. (= his or her umbrella)
* If anybody wants to leave early, they can. (= he or she can)

EXERCISES
84.1 Complete the sentences with some or any.
1. We didn’t buy _any_ flowers.
2. This evening I’m going out with — friends of mine.
3. ‘Have you seen — good films recently?’ ‘No, I haven’t been to the cinema for ages.’
4. I didn’t have — money, so I had to borrow —.
5. Can I have — milk in my coffee, please?
6. I was too tired to do — work.
7. You can cash these traveller’s cheques at — bank.
8. Can you give me — information about places of interest in the town?
9. With the special tourist train ticket, you can travel on — train you like.
10. If there are — words you don’t understand, use a dictionary.

84.2 Complete the sentences with some- or any- + -body/-thing/-where.
1. I was too surprised to say _anything._
2. There’s — at the door. Can you go and see who it is?
3. Does — mind if I open the window?
4. I wasn’t feeling hungry, so I didn’t eat —.
5. You must be hungry. Would you like — to eat?
6. Quick, let’s go! There’s — coming and I don’t want — to see us.
7. Sally was upset about — and refused to talk to —.
8. This machine is very easy to use — can learn to use it in a very short time.
9. There was hardly — on the beach. It was almost deserted.
10. ‘Do you live — near Jim?’ ‘No, he lives in another part of town.’
11. We slept in a park because we didn’t have — to stay.
12. ‘Where shall we go on holiday?’ ‘Let’s go — warm and sunny.’
13. They stay at home all the time. They never seem to go —.
14. I’m going out now. If — phones while I’m out, can you tell them I’ll be back at 11.30?
15. Why are you looking under the bed? Have you lost —?
16. — who saw the accident should contact the police.
17. Sue is very secretive. She never tells — (2 words)

84.3 Complete the sentences. Use any (+ noun) or anybody/anything/anywhere.
1. Which bus do I have to catch? Any bus. They all go to the centre.
2. Which day shall I come? I don’t mind. —.
3. What do you want to eat? —. I don’t mind. Whatever you have.
4. Where shall I sit? It’s up to you. You can sit —you like.
5. What sort of job are you looking for? —. It doesn’t matter.
6. What time shall I phone tomorrow? —. I’ll be in all day.
7. Who shall I invite to the party? I don’t mind. — you like.
8. Which newspaper shall I buy? —. Whatever they have in the shop.

84.1

2 some 3 any

4 any … some

5 some 6 any

7 any 8 some

9 any

10 any (some is also possible)

84.2

2 somebody/someone

3 anybody/anyone

4 anything

5 something

6 somebody/someone …anybody/anyone

7 something … anybody/anyone

8 Anybody/Anyone

9 anybody/anyone

10 anywhere

11 anywhere

12 somewhere

13 anywhere

14 anybody/anyone

15 something

16 Anybody/Anyone

17 She never tells anybody anything or … anyone anything.

84.3

2 Any day

3 Anything

4 anywhere

5 Anything

6 Any time

7 Anybody/Anyone

8 Any newspaper/Any one

There is a commonly stated “rule” of grammar that beginning a sentence with and, or any other conjunction, is a mistake. But this is just not true. This supposed “rule” has no basis in actual writing, and even formal writing features plenty of sentences that start with and and other conjunctions. And we think that is really cool. So, are we going to debunk this pesky rule (that isn’t really a rule) stating that conjunctions can’t be sentence leaders? Yes, we are.

Can you start a sentence with and?

The word and is one of the most commonly used words in English, and it is one of the seven coordinating conjunctions used to form complex sentences like this one. Normally, we use a comma when we join independent clauses together with coordinating conjunctions. For example:

• I have a cat, and my sister has a dog.

Now, it is time to answer the million dollar question. Can you start a sentence with the word and? Despite what some supposed grammar gatekeepers might tell you, the answer is yes! In fact, most style guides encourage starting a sentence with a coordinating conjunction if you are trying to make a point or using it for stylistic emphasis. For example, we can use and for dramatic effect like so:

• We used every trick, strategy, and gimmick we had at the competition. And we won!

There are a variety of reasons that we might start a sentence with and, such as for rhetorical effect, style, clarity, or flow. That being said, some people consider this to be improper, so don’t be surprised if you have a teacher or boss that takes you to task over this “mistake.” Still, you probably don’t want to overdo it and start all of your sentences with and.

Examples

The following examples show the different ways we might use and to begin sentences.

• You may feel sad sometimes. And that’s okay.
• My neighbor is a nice guy who helps with yard work. And he gets me free coffee.
• The author announced another delay of her new book. And the reaction was just what you’d expect.

Can you start a sentence with but?

That takes care of and, but what about but? Like and, but is another of the seven coordinating conjunctions. All the points that we made about and apply to but as well. Typically, we use a comma when combining sentences with but. But we could use it to start a sentence instead! As with and, we might do this for many reasons. And it isn’t a mistake to do it!

Examples

Here are some examples of sentences that begin with but.

• I really need a new car. But I can’t afford one.
• It slices. It dices. It will file your taxes for you. But that’s not all!
• The comedian told all his best jokes. But nobody laughed.

You don’t always have to use but! Learn some alternatives for this common conjunction.

What about the other conjunctions?

As mentioned previously, and and but are two of the seven coordinating conjunctions. But what about the other five? Can we start sentences with them too? Yes, we can! While we typically use a comma to join sentences with coordinating conjunctions, we could also break those sentences apart.

Let’s look at examples of sentences that begin with each of the other five coordinating conjunctions.

• For: I didn’t tell my teacher I enjoyed her class. For that would be a lie.
• Nor: She didn’t hurt that poor kitty. Nor would she hurt any animal.
• Or: We could say we saw an alien. Or we could pretend none of this ever happened.
• Yet: Dash ran as hard and as fast as he could. Yet he still only finished third in the race.
• So: My daughter really doesn’t want to clean her room. So she has been hiding from me all day.

So far, we have only talked about coordinating conjunctions, but there are many more conjunctions out there. Can we start sentences with them, too? We sure can! For example:

• We will go to the store. After we eat breakfast, of course.

When we look beyond coordinating conjunctions, we see a new trend start to emerge. These other conjunctions are subordinating conjunctions, meaning they attach a subordinate clause to a main clause. Grammatically, it is considered perfectly acceptable to begin a sentence with a subordinate clause. In fact, you will see this extremely often in formal writing and even the strictest grammarian would not consider this to be against the rules. For example:

• Because I needed an A on the test, I studied harder than I ever had before.

Additionally, many of these conjunctions can also be used as adverbs and it is totally in line with grammatical rules to begin a sentence with an adverbial phrase:

• After all that running around, my dog took a long nap.

All of this means that not only can you start sentences with conjunctions, you might end up with a much clearer and interesting sentence if you do!

Examples

Let’s finish things up by looking at a whole bunch of great sentences that begin with conjunctions.

• My kids would never steal something. Because they know stealing is wrong.
• I didn’t call his bluff. Although I was really tempted to.
• This puzzle is really easy. Even a baby could solve it.
• We will catch Bigfoot. If we can ever find him.
• She said she was going to meet Bart in Springfield. Wherever that is.
• Nate can be the best player on the team. When he feels like it.
• This mystery is all but solved. Now that Sherlock Holmes is here.
• The two brothers need to work together. Before it is too late.

And there’s more—Grammar Coach™, that is!

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