[Grammar] I have yet to meet 'anyone' ...
- Thread starter nyota
- Start date
- Views : 7,881
- Status
Khosro
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2011
- Member Type
- Interested in Language
- Native Language
- Persian
- Home Country
- Iran
- Current Location
- Iran
What's the difference in your opinion?
I think in the first sentence you just want to show your admire for him.
In the second sentence you are perhaps a running coach and have recently lost your best runner and looking for a suitable substitute.
nyota
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2009
- Member Type
- Interested in Language
- Native Language
- Polish
- Home Country
- Poland
- Current Location
- Australia
Khosro, I wasn't reallly thinking of any differences. I wasn't even sure if 'someone' was possible.
I don't quite get this one?
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2010
- Member Type
- English Teacher
- Native Language
- British English
- Home Country
- Czech Republic
- Current Location
- Czech Republic
1. I have yet to meet anyone who can run as fast as him.
2. I have yet to meet someone who ... ?
In #1, 'anyone' is unrestricted - we may infer that the speaker is suggesting that s/he has tried all the possibilties.
In#2, 'someone' is more restricted; we may infer that the speaker is suggesting that s/he has not (yet) tried all the possibilities.
Michael Lewis [The English Verb, (1986), Hove: LTP] wrote:
“Both some and any are used with indefinite reference.
Some is used if the idea is restricted or limited in some way.
Any is used if the idea is unrestricted or unlimited.
Any applies to all or none; some applies to part.
The restriction may be a real one – There’s some cheese in the fridge – or a psychological one, existing only in the mind of the speaker – Would you like something to eat?
The real semantic distinction is as simple as that, and applies to all uses of some and any.”
Lewis could have added, "and to all words begining with some or any - ~one, ~body, ~thing, ..."
2. I have yet to meet someone who ... ?
In #1, 'anyone' is unrestricted - we may infer that the speaker is suggesting that s/he has tried all the possibilties.
In#2, 'someone' is more restricted; we may infer that the speaker is suggesting that s/he has not (yet) tried all the possibilities.
Michael Lewis [The English Verb, (1986), Hove: LTP] wrote:
“Both some and any are used with indefinite reference.
Some is used if the idea is restricted or limited in some way.
Any is used if the idea is unrestricted or unlimited.
Any applies to all or none; some applies to part.
The restriction may be a real one – There’s some cheese in the fridge – or a psychological one, existing only in the mind of the speaker – Would you like something to eat?
The real semantic distinction is as simple as that, and applies to all uses of some and any.”
Lewis could have added, "and to all words begining with some or any - ~one, ~body, ~thing, ..."
- Status
Similar threads
