Determiners – Usage of ‘Some’ and ‘Any’ with Countables and Uncountables

countabilitydeterminerssome-vs-anyuncountable-nouns

I'm doing my English homework and my book says these sentences are correct:

1) Do you have any wine?

2) Can I have some water, please?

My questions are:

  • These sentences are structured differently. Does a difference between "wine" and "water" cause the sentences to be structured differently?

  • Why do we not use the word "some" in sentence #1?

Best Answer

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?

Michael Lewis (1986.34), The English Verb, LTP: Hove.

Do you have any wine/water? - Unrestricted

Can I have some wine/water, please? - Restricted, a limited amount

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