I want coffee.
vs.
I want some coffee.
Does these two sentences completely identical?
In general, is it possible to delete the word "some" from every instance of "some coffee", and to keep the same meaning?
Thank you!
Learn English – coffee vs. some coffee
nounsuncountable-nouns
Best Answer
Let's consider the following:
What would you like, tea or coffee? - I want coffee.
I'm feeling rather tired. I need (want) some coffee.
So, the question here is whether or not you can skip "some" in such sentences. As we can see, it really depends on the context. In a coffee shop, usually it's "a cup of coffee". "Can I have some coffee?" is standard in a party environment. Without "some", the sentence may sound awful in some cases.