I try construct a question. Which variant is correct?
- Is any task there?
- Is there any task?
What I must use in answer - one or ones to avoid unnecessary repetition in this context?
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2Do you in fact mean "What is the task"? Regardless, I don't see why the response would need to involve one or ones at all. Could you clarify?– Erik KowalCommented May 5, 2014 at 9:09
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Hard to answer without more context. You would rarely or never use either of these as standalone sentences, without more. If you asked a native speaker "Is there any task," he or she would probably reply, "Any task what?" It isn't a complete sentence. Try a more detailed request and you'll get better answers.– chapkaCommented May 5, 2014 at 21:21
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2 Answers
It there any task?
Is the correct construction supposing that you are asking if there is any task left to do.
You can answer: There is one left to do.. or There are some ( tasks) left to do.
"Is any task there?" - This emphasizes "there". You're asking if there is a task in that particular location, as opposed to asking if there's a task "here". It sounds a bit awkward out of context. It's like you're searching for a task and asking if one is "there".
"Is there any task? - Using the singular "is," the implication is that you, the person asking the question, has reason to believe there are no tasks and you're asking if there's even one left. The answer could simply be "yes" or "yes, there's one" or "no" or "no, there is not". It could also be, "yes, the one/ones over there" or "no, the one/ones we had are done."
The question could also be:
"Are there any tasks?" - This is simply asking if there's anything to complete, like you're leaving work for the day and you're asking if there's still things left to be one. It is less presumptuous than "is there any task?".
