Learn English – Anyone and everyone – correct usage

adverbs

I'm just wondering whether both sentences would be correct:

  • I look into the eyes of anyone who looks at me.

  • I look into the eyes of everyone who looks at me.

Would it be correct to assume that when I used anyone in that way it would mean I am questioning whether anyone looks at me. However when using everyone I'm just stating the fact that I look into everyone's eyes.

If both are correct I really like the distinction. Not possible in many other languages.

Best Answer

Both of them are correct. But your interpretation of "anyone" is off-target.

This reminds me of a similar ESL exercise on the difference between and "every" and "any":

A: What would you like to order?

B: Everything.

  • or -

B: Anything.

As you can see from the example above, "everything" would mean "each and every" item on the menu and would be inappropriate in the situation.

In the same way, "looking into the eyes of EVERYone who looks at me" means that ALL offenders would suffer my stare.

On the other hand, "anything" in the example above means only one dish, it doesn't matter which one.

So "looking into the eyes of ANYone who looks at me" isn't really emphasizing quantity (or uncertainty, as you have guessed). Instead, it actually means "I DON'T CARE who they are, whether they're the President or Oprah, I just stare right back."

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