Ir al supermercado: Expresar cantidad usando any/some

1- Let’s go to the supermarket!

1.1- What is a supermarket?

A supermarket is a big store with many aisles where you can find different products such as food, drinks, technological products, household items, and many others.

 

 

1.2- A trip to the supermarket

Joey is a girl of 12 years old; she loves going to the supermarket. She and her mom always go and buy some food weekly. But today, Joey is going to the supermarket alone for the first time, because her mom is ill, so she can’t go. She made her a list of some things Joey needs to buy. That is a grocery list. This is the grocery list that Joey’s mom gave her: 

 

Grocery List

Milk

Corn

Eggs

Bread

Butter

Chicken

Fruits

 

Joey is really happy and goes to the supermarket. Her mom doesn’t have any of the products on the list, so she needs to buy everything and put a tick next to each item. She buys some milk, eggs bread, fruits. She can’t find any chicken, butter, or corn, so she puts a cross next to them.  

Joey pays, leaves the supermarket with a big bag full of food. She walks back to her house. Her mom is proud and happy and prepares a delicious meal for her with all the ingredients she bought. They both eat and go to sleep after a long day. 

 

 

 

2- Some or any?

Podemos usar SOME o ANY cuando no sabemos con precisión la cantidad de algo, o cuando esta cantidad no es importante. Se podrían traducir como alguno, alguna, algunos o algunas, según corresponda.

Por tanto, al tener significados similares, no podemos distinguir cuándo se usa cada uno, para saber esto tenemos que fijarnos en una serie de reglas. Lo que debes hacer es estudiar las reglas, notar las diferencias y practicar para que puedas distinguir cuándo usar some y cuándo usar any.   

Pon atención a las siguientes reglas sobre cuándo usar SOME y ANY: 

 

SOME

We use some in positive sentences with plural countable nouns and uncountable nouns.

Examples: 

– I need to buy some apples. 
– She wants some milk.
– My dad bought some chocolate.

 

ANY

We use ANY in negative sentences or questions with plural countable nouns and uncountable nouns.

Examples:

– We don't have any eggs left.
– Does he want any water?
– My sister didn't buy any books.

 

 

EXCEPTIONS: SOME  SOME en preguntas: Podemos usar some en preguntas cuando son: – Ofrecimientos: Do you want some tea? – Peticiones: Can I have milk, please? – Sugerencias: Why don’t we get some popcorn for movies tonight?

 

EXCEPTIONS: ANY ANY en oraciones positivas: podemos usar any en oraciones afirmativas cuando: – Nos referimos a “cualquier” tipo de algo: I want any sweater. (No importa cuál) – No hay una negación explícita, pero la oración tiene una palabra negativa (hardly, never, barley, without, little, etc): Last Winter, we hardly had any rain.

 

What happens in singular countable nouns?

Let’s remember some rules!

To talk about singular nouns we use:

A $\to$ Si el sustantivo empieza con un sonido consonántico. 
AN $\to$Si el sustantivo empieza con un sonido vocálico.

Ejemplos:

I want an apple, please.
My aunt bought a pencil case yesterday.

 

I need to get some vegetables for my mom.

 

Joe? Why don’t we buy some apples too?

Great idea, we don’t have any apples at home. I want to do an apple pie.

 

We need to buy some books. There is a long list of books in my mind.

 

We can buy some food on our way to the airport.

Yes! I’m starving, let’s just eat at any restaurant.

 

Can I have some more tea, please?

 

Any movie is great with some popcorn and friends!

 

I need to buy a new phone, and some books.