Use some with plural things and food or drink that you do not count here.
We’ve got some apples.
There’s some milk.
We’ve got some apples.Some describes an available quantity of plural apples.
Ask and say no
Use any in neutral questions and with not when none is available.
Have we got any bread?
We haven’t got any eggs.
The noun keeps its usual form
Whole applessome apples → any apples
We’ve got some apples. Have we got any apples?
Bread as foodsome bread → any bread
We’ve got some bread. We haven’t got any bread.
Some and any do not decide whether the noun is countable. Use plural apples for whole apples, but keep bread unchanged when talking about the food generally.
Offer or ask for something
Some also works in an offer or a request when you expect the item to be available.
Would you like some tea?
Can I have some water, please?
Guided practice
Say or write your answer first. Compare form and meaning with the model.
1. Complete: There are ___ apples on the table.
Compare a model and explanation
some
A positive statement introduces a quantity.
2. Complete the neutral check: Have we got ___ cheese?
Compare a model and explanation
any
Any is the normal choice for this neutral check.
3. Complete: We haven’t got ___ milk.
Compare a model and explanation
any
Any follows the negative here.
4. Correct: We’ve got some apple. You mean several whole apples.
Compare a model and explanation
We’ve got some apples.
Use plural apples for several whole ones.
5. Make a negative: We’ve got some bread.
Compare a model and explanation
We haven’t got any bread.
Change some to any in this negative.
6. Ask a neutral question about oranges.
Compare a model and explanation
Have we got any oranges?
Other equivalent neutral checks are acceptable.
7. Offer coffee with Would you like.
Compare a model and explanation
Would you like some coffee?
Some is natural in offers.
8. Ask for juice with Can I have.
Compare a model and explanation
Can I have some juice, please?
A request can use some.
A short conversation
Listen first, then open the transcript when useful.
Open the conversation transcript
A: Have we got any bread?
B: Yes, and we’ve got some cheese.
A: Good. Have we got any tomatoes?
B: No, we haven’t. Let’s buy some.
Listening checks
Listen to each extract or open its transcript. These three questions have a separate score.
We haven’t got any eggs.Not with any says that no eggs are available.
Mastery quiz
Choose the best answer for each situation. The score is out of eight.
Use it in your own words
Speaking 1
Say three things you have in your kitchen.
Reveal a possible response
I’ve got some rice, some apples and some tea.
Success check: Use some with suitable nouns.
Speaking 2
Ask about two foods. Say that one is missing.
Reveal a possible response
Have we got any eggs? Yes. Have we got any bread? No, we haven’t got any bread.
Success check: Use any in checks and negatives.
Put it all together
Plan a snack: check food, mention one missing item and offer a drink.
Reveal a possible response
We’ve got some cheese. Have we got any bread? No. Let’s buy some. Would you like some tea?
Success check: Include a statement, check, negative and offer.
