Sentence with the word something

Hello English learners! Today, we are going to discuss when to use something and when to use anything. This question has its roots in the negative realm. I am going to start with the word something.

The word something is generally used as a pronoun. This means that it replaces a noun. The word something has a definition of a specific undermined or uncertain thing.

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For example

• My daughter told me something about Shopkins, but I can’t remember it now.
• There is something about that car, it is magical.
• Is something wrong with Frank? 

The word something can also mean a person or a thing of great value.

When it follows this definition then the word something is a noun (a person, place or thing).

For example

• She sure is something!! I think I am in love with her. 
• Tom has something to say that is very important.

For the most part, English speakers use something in positive/affirmative sentences.

This is also true for somebody, someone and some.

For example

• I have something to tell you. 
• Give me something in exchange for my cookies. 
• If you order food from that Indian restaurant, could you order me something too?

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It is also possible to use something in questions.

We can use the word something to represent a thing that we know exists or we are pretty sure it exists.

For example

• Do you think that there is something in the Loch Ness lake in Scotland? 
• Is there something else I can help you with? 
• Did your mom get you something from Paris?

The word something can also be used in a question when you ask for things or if you offer something.

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For example

• Did you want something to eat? 
• Would you like to put something on your salad? We have Ranch dressing. 
• Could I have something spicy to eat?

Now let’s talk about something more complicated which is the word anything.

Similar to the word something, the word anything is generally used as a pronoun.

My definition of the word anything is whatever; I don’t care what it is.

The word anything is generally used in negative sentences:

Here are some examples to help clear this up:

• I didn’t get anything for my birthday. 
• That guy can handle spicy foods, he didn’t drink anything after eating Indian food. 
• When he opened the closet, he didn’t find anything there.

The word anything is used in sentences where the meaning is negative.

This is the major difference between the words something and anything.

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Something can NEVER be used in negative sentences!

For example 

• Hardly anything makes Tom smiled these days. 
• There wasn’t anything about verbs on the English exam. 
• She didn’t have anything in his bank account.

Most questions in the English language use anything when we don’t know if the thing exists.

Here are some examples

• I don’t think anything will help is financial situation.
• There isn’t anything you can say to make me feel better. 
• She didn’t bring anything to the party.

Returning back to my definition of anything meaning I don’t care.

Here are some better examples:

• Could you give me anything to write with? (It could be a pencil, pen or crayon, I don’t care. I just need something to write with.)
• Do you have anything to drink? It is very hot. (I am so thirsty that I will drink coffee, I don’t care.)
• Can you turn on some music? You can play anything that you want. (Any music is better than working in silence.)

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The word anything is used with the word if. The word if indicates a condition.

For example

• If there is anything I can do for you, just let me know. 
• If anything happens, don’t hesitate to call. 
• If anything wakes up my child, I will be very upset.

In summary, the word something cannot be used in NEGATIVE sentences, whereas the word anything CAN be used in NEGATIVE sentences.

Well, that is it for using something and anything.

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Try out your English for free and leave your own sentence in the comments below.

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In English, and many other languages, compounds are made up of two or more words combined into a single word. There are many compound words in English, ranging from the everyday to the esoteric.

Is there ever a situation where it makes sense to use the words separately? Is something or some thing more appropriate, for instance? Continue reading to learn more about these words.

What is the Difference Between Something and Some Thing?

In this post, I will compare something vs. some thing. I will use each of these terms in example sentences so that you can see them in context. I will also give you a helpful memory tool that will assist you in distinguishing between these two words.

When to Use Something

What does something mean? Something is a pronoun. Something means an unspecified object or concept. It is a common word in both spoken and written English.

Most of the time, pronouns are used in place of other nouns that have already been mentioned in a sentence, like in this example,

• George met Karen and Greg at the restaurant and told them about his day.

Here, the pronoun them stands in for the nouns Karen and Greg. It keeps the sentence from sounding boring and repetitive.

In contrast, something is not always used this way. Often, it just refers to an unspecified object. See the following sentences.

• The alley cat sniffed around behind Alan’s apartment looking for something to eat.
• “Shouldn’t you be back in your booth fabricating something?” the painter asked the welder.
• Adventurous young consumers, weaned on craft whiskey and beer, are eager to try something new. –The New York Times

Here, something doesn’t refer back to any other nouns. It simply refers to an unspecified object.

When to Use Some Thing

What does some thing mean? Some writers divide the pronoun something into two words, forming the phrase some thing. This is not an accepted variant of this word. Something is a compound, and should always be spelled as a single word.

As you can see, the two-word some thing is so infrequently used that it approached zero. Something is the correct spelling of this pronoun.

That’s not to say that there are no contexts where some and thing might appear next to each other as separate words. Some is a determiner, and thing is a noun. The phrase some thing took hold of his ankle would not feel out of place in certain 19th century horror fiction.

Today, though, a horror writer would probably include an adjective, to form some terrible thing or some unholy thing. Most people would also simply use the pronoun something.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Here’s a trick you can use to remember some thing vs. something.

In general, you should always use the single-word something when referring to an unspecified object or concept. Although there are some situations where the two-word some thing would be grammatically acceptable, something is always more familiar and will be less likely to distract your audience.

To remember that something is the correct version of this word, remember that the compounds sometime and someone are also spelled as a single word, and they fill similar functions in sentences.

Summary

Is it some thing or something? Something is a pronoun that refers to an unspecified object or person.

• Something is the correct formulation of this pronoun.
• Some thing is a misspelling of

If you every get stuck choosing some thing or something in the future, you can use this article as a refresher.