AEE 2687: Learn English Anywhere, Anytime, With Anyone

This is an All Ears English Podcast, episode 2687. Learn English anywhere, anytime, with anyone. Welcome to the All Ears English Podcast, downloaded more than 200 million times. Are you feeling stuck with your English?

We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection. With your American hosts, Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl, and Aubrey Carter, the IELTS whiz, coming to you from Arizona and New York City, USA.

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On today's episode, Aubrey and Michelle answer a listener question about the word any. Find out eight ways we use this word today to enhance your conversations in English.

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This week only, you can save up to $100 off the normal price. One more time, go to allearsenglish.com slash S-O-C-I-A-L. Hello, Michelle. How are you?

I am good, Aubrey. Aubrey, do you have any plans this weekend? Yes, we're getting together with some very good friends that we don't see very often. They live here in town, but they're so busy.

She's an attorney, an adoption attorney, actually. And they travel a ton and they're just so busy. So we don't see them nearly as often as we'd like. And we're getting together with them.

So I'm excited. We'll go to dinner or something. What about you? Any fun plans? Do I have any fun plans? Good question. Oh, yes. My family is coming to town.

So, yes, we are going to do some fun things, I'm sure. And go maybe explore the area, show them around, go to some restaurants. Yeah, so it should be fun. Well, you'll notice that we both said any when we were asking about plans.

This is the most often we'll say any fun plans. Do you have any fun plans? We got a great question about this word any. We use it so many ways in English.

We're going to dive into this today. Do you want to read the question for us, Michelle? Sure. Sure. So this question came to us on a YouTube. It's from Bayadomi1893.

And this listener says, Hello, after the eight different ways to use some in English episode, I would be interested in eight different ways to use any in English. Any is far more difficult for me. Thank you. Great question.

Yes. So yeah, we did do an episode in April of 2025. If you want to listen to the episode about some, it was episode 2387, eight different ways to use some in English. So check that out.

That's really good to think about these two words together because they can get confusing. Yeah. And we do use them both so many different ways. They have so many functions in English, right?

So I'm excited to dive into this. But guys, be sure to hit follow wherever you listen to the podcast, both on YouTube, right? We have the All Ears English YouTube channel if you like to watch the podcast on video and also the podcast wherever you find your podcast. Just search All Ears English and hit follow.

And let's dive in here, Michelle. We have eight different ways to use any that we're going to share today. And the first is questions. Just like Michelle and I both asked, any fun plans this weekend?

We use any this way to check someone's availability or to ask about plans. Yes, exactly. And yeah, you'll notice like we, yeah, we could say, do you have any, right? Fun plans, but in a kind of more casual way.

Oh, any fun plans? Yeah, we chop that off, right? Do you have any fun plans this weekend? We'll just say. any fun plans? Or even if I were to ask you like, do you have any peanut butter?

If I'm like borrowing something from you, then we could also just be like, oh, any peanut butter over there, right? We'll just cut off the first of the question. Yeah. So yeah, it's neutral, open-ended.

And you don't know the answer, right? When you asked me any fun plans, you don't know. Right. Which is often what differentiates it from some. Right. I might say like, oh, do you have some peanut butter?

It's like, I know that you have some. I'm asking for some really. But any does imply more often that we don't know. I'm asking if you have any of something.

Yeah. Yes. Yes. So here's an example. Do you have any free time today? So sometimes we can chop off the beginning, but not always. We could do a whole follow-up of that probably.

Right. And then is there any coffee left? You could for sure. Any coffee left. Or do you have any questions? Right. And you could also just be like, any questions?

Any questions? Yeah. Exactly. Um, so great. So yeah, questions. And then the second way is any plus noun, um, as a negative. So meaning zero or none. So for example, okay.

It emphasizes that the amount is zero there. There's none, right? So for example, I don't have any money. Exactly. Or she didn't give me any advice. Exactly.

So if you think about the difference between saying I don't have money or she didn't give me advice, adding any here emphasizes like absolutely none, none at all. Yeah, that's an interesting use where we'll use it to emphasize.

Yes, yes. And what's the third way? All right. The third is when there's no restriction. Like it doesn't matter which one. It could be any of something.

You're giving someone sort of an open choice. For example, pick any seat. They're all the same. So you're saying any one of these doesn't matter which one.

Or you can call me at any time. Yeah, you might say that if your friend is going through a hard time and you're saying, oh, you can call me at any time, like I will always be there for you, right? So it doesn't matter which time. Or I'm free any day.

So I might say if I'm trying to make plans with a friend, oh, I'm free any day this week. Next week's a little busier. Yes. And this, again, emphasizes that it doesn't matter anyone because you could say like, call me sometime or I'll be free someday.

Very different meaning, right? With any, we're wanting to emphasize that any day would work. Any time would work. Yeah. Right. Let's move on to the fourth way.

It is any plus comparatives. So this actually strengthens the comparisons a little bit. So for example, this isn't any better than before. Or are you feeling any stronger today?

So yeah, that's a great way to emphasize. You could just say this isn't better than before, but when we add that any, it gives emphasis, right? This really isn't any better.

That's right. Okay. What about number five, Aubrey? All right. Five. We follow any with either longer or further. So this means something was happening before, but is not going to continue.

And it's comparing the past situation to the present. So for example, she can't stay here any longer or or I don't want to discuss this any further. Yeah.

And so this is a fun way that we use any to just to share that something is not going to happen any longer. Yes. And something important to note is that the word anymore is often used in the same way, but it becomes one word. So for example, she doesn't work here anymore, or I don't talk to him anymore.

Yeah. Exactly. It replaces either any longer, any further. We'll just replace that with anymore, one word. You speak English, but do you still feel one step behind in social situations?

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All right. Number six, if any. So this is interesting. This usually comes at the end of a sentence. It's an add-on. And it suggests that the amount may be zero.

And it's interesting how we use it to soften a statement. It sort of sounds cautious. Yeah, it does. It does sound a little cautious, right? So for example, there were very few mistakes, if any.

So we could have just cut it off. We don't need to add, if any. It's just kind of an add-on, like we said. Or he showed little interest, if any. Yeah.

When I add this, it's more that I'm sort of hedging my bets. I'm saying I think there wasn't very much of this. And as I finished my statement, I realized there may have been none. And so I'm almost correct.

I was just going to say that. Right. Yes. You could either say like there were very few mistakes. In fact, I don't think there were any. That's so long.

Instead, we'll just add if any. And that clarifies that actually there may have been none, but I'm saying it in very few words. Right. And this is kind of a very stream of consciousness thing to add.

It's like, you know, in the moment you're like, oh, if any, right? It is something very real time. Right. We have a lot of those in English because we do think as we speak, right?

We don't always know the end of what we're about to say. And so we're adjusting as we go. This is a little chunk that we have to add on that means a lot of words, right? That there might be none.

Yeah, exactly. So that one's – I like this one. It's very interesting. So here's the seventh. Not plus any plus noun. And this emphasizes the point. So this is used for showing surprise or disbelief or attitude.

What else, Aubrey? Yeah, it highlights that something is – not typical or maybe special. It's really casual. It's very native. We do this a lot. So for example, I might say, that wasn't any kind of apology, right?

And there are multiple ways to do this. I could just say like, that was not an apology, but we'll use any this way in the same, instead of like emphasizing not, we'll use any to emphasize that there was none at all.

Right. Or this isn't any ordinary restaurant, right? So you're just, yeah, emphasizing this is a really special place. Right. It means the same as this is no ordinary restaurant.

Sort of another way of saying that this isn't any, this isn't just any ordinary restaurant or he's not just any kind of leader. And then you're going to specify like what makes him exceptional. Yes. like you'll probably add something on like oh he'll he he's a caring leader he's that right something like that all right number eight are we ready this is a lot of ways to use i know this is a lot guys okay we got it number eight

It is indefinite pronouns. So that's anyone, anything, anywhere. So we're combining it here with another word to create a new meaning. And these all become one word.

They're written together as one word. And they're going to refer to an unspecified person, thing, or place. Yes. And yeah, these are used all the time in conversations.

So very, very useful. You'll hear them. You'll use them. So for example, I didn't see anyone. Exactly. Or asking, right? Did you see anyone? And this, it's interesting how it leaves it open to, we're not asking about specific people, right?

Or do you want anything to eat? And this is very open. I'm not talking about specific foods, anything at all. Mm-hmm. Um, or, uh, this is, this one, this is interesting because even on my notes, uh, it looks like it wants to correct it to somewhere.

Um, I don't know if you see that on yours, but let's go anywhere quiet. If you're saying this on its own, you probably would say, let's go somewhere quiet. But when it's a response to something, we would say this. So I can kind of see why by itself, you know, our notes is wanting to correct itself.

So if someone says like, Where do you want to go? You could totally say anywhere quiet. You're saying, I don't care where, doesn't matter, just as long as it's someplace quiet, any place quiet.

Yeah, this is a very conversational, right? Might not be completely correct on, you know, when you're typing it in. And I'm curious, Michelle, I find myself saying any place, which might be more about my regional dialect. I know it's not grammatically incorrect, but do you hear that a lot?

Someone saying any place instead of anywhere? I'd be like, let's go any place quiet. Where do you want to go? Oh, any place. Yeah, I would say it's more anywhere, at least where I am.

Interesting. But any place is kind of cute. I like it too. And I'm realizing I think where I'm from, we say that even more. So you're going to hear it.

Neither are wrong. I'm sure they're both in the dictionary. This is all about regional dialects and the different words that people are used to hearing and used to using.

Yes, exactly. All right. So should we do a role play and mix this all up? Let's do it. Yes. You and I are friends. We are talking about a mutual friend, Mark.

Mark hasn't reached out or contacted us in some time. How dare he? Oh, Mark. I'll start us out. Ready? Do you have any idea what's going on with Mark lately?

No, I haven't heard anything from him. Me neither. He hasn't responded to any of my texts. He answered some of my texts recently, but he isn't really sharing much, so it doesn't make me feel any better.

He definitely seems more distant than usual. Yeah, at this point, I'd take any explanation. Honestly, I'm getting a little worried. Same. Do you think there's any chance he's just busy?

Maybe. I'm just not sure. Yeah. If there's any issue, I wish he'd just say it. Yeah. So we used a bunch of them here and it didn't feel, this is one of those things where it doesn't feel strange to have any so many times in one conversation.

We use it a lot. I'm sure you guys hear it a lot. It's just a matter of knowing. It's a functional word, right? It's not, I think that's why. It's not a content word.

And so we squeeze it in everywhere for all of these different purposes. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, exactly. So you said, do you have any idea what's going on with Mark lately?

So again, that's a question. And you could remove that whole for the first three words, right? You could just say, any idea what's going on with Mark? And we often will do that.

They're not needed. They're sort of implied the rest of the sentence. I would say it does make it a little bit more casual if I'm thinking about the difference, don't you think? Yeah, a little bit, right?

It's very conversational. You might keep those words in if you're presenting or talking at work or with someone you've just met for the first time. But among friends, I would almost always drop it and just be like, hey, any idea what's up with Mark? Yep.

Great. And then I said, no, I haven't heard anything from him. So this means I haven't gotten any texts or phone calls, right? I haven't heard from him at all.

I could say I haven't heard anything from him. And then it was, he hasn't responded to any of my texts. Yeah. There are many texts. Not a single one. Yeah.

Yes. Yeah, that definitely implies you've sent more than one, right? We wouldn't say this if we had only sent one text. This means you've sent multiple and he hasn't responded to any of them.

Yeah. And then I said, oh, that doesn't make me feel any better. Yeah. So this is a great way to emphasize like not at all. Mm hmm. And then I'd take any explanation.

Okay. So any one of anything he wants to get the possible explanation someone could give you for totally like never talking to you. You're like, I'll take it. I just at this point, I'm worried.

Is he okay? I need proof of life. Right. And then do you think there's any chance he's just busy? And this is a chunk we use a lot. You know, we'll say like, any chance you're free later?

Any chance you think they're just busy? And this is kind of a chunk we use together. Yeah. Yes. And then I said, if there's any issue, I wish he'd just say it.

So this is about like, if he has a problem with me, and that's why he's not texting me, I wish he'd let me know, right? Any issue, I don't mind, just tell me so that I know what's going on.

Yes, exactly. So takeaway for today. So any is a really flexible word. As you can tell, there are so many different ways to use it. And then, of course, there's anything, anyone, anywhere.

And it helps you sound more natural and avoid being too direct. Exactly. So it's really helpful for showing openness or doubt even, or just adding emphasis to something. So there are many different ways.

We went over eight today. If you have any further questions about these, because we know it's a lot, write in and say, oh, can you share more examples of this one? Or I was a little confused by this one. So we're happy to continue talking about this because it is...

It is really a lot of information. Especially like some versus any is tricky. So if you listen to that first episode, eight ways to use some compared to this, I think that will help you to realize when, when we use some, when we use any. And then just being observant as you're taking in English, when you're listening to podcasts and TV shows, notice when they're using any and when they're using some.

And we also want to share a fun episode that we just recorded recently. If you missed it, scroll up and check out 2688. Come in guns blazing with these English idioms. There's a lot of idioms that we use in English.

Oh, you know what? That's actually the next episode. That's a little prequel for what you're going to hear from Lindsay and I tomorrow. Ooh, very exciting.

Awesome. Thanks, Michelle. Fun episode. And I will see you next time. All right. Bye, Aubrey. Thanks guys. And thanks to our listener for that great question.

Yes. Thank you. Bye-bye. Bye. Thanks for listening to All Ears English. Would you like to know your English level? Take our two minute quiz. Go to allearsenglish.com forward slash fluency score.

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