A: Do you need _____ scissors?
B: Yes. Do you have _____?a. any/any
b. any/some
c. some/any
d. some/some
My answer is b. any/some. Is that correct?
Or is it choice c. some/any because some scissors = a pair of scissors
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3I would prefer (c) or (d). I would only use Do you need any... for a substance (any milk?) or an indefinite number of items (any clean cups?). (This assumes that A is offering a single pair of scissors for B to use, not multiple pairs for a group of people!)– Kate BuntingCommented Feb 16 at 9:39
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3This site is not for doing homework.– LambieCommented Feb 16 at 14:40
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My personal preference would be (e) None of the above. "Do you need scissors?" is a complete thought without any extra words.– Ron JensenCommented Mar 28 at 1:02
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2 Answers
I'd say that all the choices are valid. The difference between "some" and "any" in this context is very subtle, if it exists at all.
I'd be amused to know what the teacher or textbox said the "correct" answer is and why. Whatever answer they give is probably based on definitions of "some" and "any" that are more specific than most English speakers understand them to mean in daily use.
Although we do tend to just say 'scissors', it is technically a pair of scissors which is why it is plural. A pair is two.
The difference between 'some' and 'any' is that 'some' refers to a specific amount whereas 'any' is used for an unspecified amount.
As 'scissors' refers to a pair, that is a specific amount. It seems that person A is offering a pair, and B is asking for a pair, so the answer would be D - some/some.
