Question 399 - Should ‘s’ be added after ‘any’ and ‘no’ Question 398 - Difference between ‘take the cake’ and ‘take the biscuit’ Question 397 - Simpler English for instructions Question 396 - Meaning and usage of ‘cagey’ Question 395 - Different uses of ‘flash’ Question 394 - Difference between ‘popular’ and ‘common’ Question 393 - Using ‘take’ Question 392 - Using ‘for’ to talk about work Question 391 - Using ‘ness’ at the end of words Question 390 - ‘What you can do’ and ‘The best thing is’ Question 389 - Making nouns by adding ‘ness’ to adjectives Question 388 - Are ‘noodles’ countable or uncountable Question 387 - Difference between alliteration and assonance Question 386 - Difference between ‘at quarter past five’ and ‘a quarter past five’ Question 385 - Using ‘through’ with ‘climb’ Question 384 - How to describe a person who is shy at first Question 383 - Adjective patterns Question 382 - Most common words in English Question 381 - ‘in the east’ or ‘on the east’ Question 380 - Verb with ‘calligraphy’ Question 379 - Verbs which are not passive Question 378 - Singular or plural nouns Question 377 - Difference between ‘I love singing’ and ‘I love to sing’ Question 376 - Using ‘This is the day when…’ & singular or plural Question 375 - Difference between ‘study’ and ‘learn’ Question 374 - Difference between ‘hard’ and ‘hardly’ Question 373 - How to say ‘Chok樣’ and ‘公主病’ in English? Question 372 - Present or past perfect tense Question 371 - How to learn English well? Question 370 - How to say ‘Seck faan!’ (食飯) in English? Question 369 - Placing ‘either … or’ in a sentence & split infinitives Question 368 - Chinese New Year greetings Question 367 - Nouns like ‘the poor’ and ‘the suffering’ Question 366 - Difference between ‘breath’ and breathe’ Question 365 - ‘Must’ in the past tense Question 364 - How to write better? Question 363 - Difference between a biography and an autobiography Question 362 - Difference between ‘Have you been to Japan?’ and ‘Have you ever been to Japan?’ Question 361 - Where to add ‘s’ in compound nouns like ‘twenty-cent coin’? Question 360 - Can a comma come after a fullstop be omitted? Question 359 - Difference between ‘hung’ and ‘hanged’ Question 358 - Are answers to questions complete sentences? Question 357 - Difference between ‘bring’ and ‘take’ Question 356 - Starting questions with ‘Do, Is, Am, Are’ Question 355 - Do you need to add ‘that’ after ‘please note’? Question 354 - Is ‘food’ countable or uncountable? Question 353 - Quotation marks with direct speech Question 352 - Talking about two people being different Question 351 - Difference between ‘win’ and ‘beat’ Question 350 - Meaning of ‘couldn’t care less’ Question 349 - Meaning of ‘brainchild’ Question 347 - Difference between ‘varied’ and ‘various’ Question 346 - Difference between ‘officer’ and ‘official’ Question 345 - Meaning and usage of ‘kinda’ and ‘sorta’ Question 344 - What do ‘R.S.V.P’ and ‘stand for’ mean? Question 343 - Nicknames & stage names Question 342 - What is a surname and middle name in English? Question 341 - Reported speech with ‘if’ sentences Question 337 - Difference between ‘guidance’, 'guideline' and ‘rule’ Question 336 - Difference between ‘win’ and ‘beat’ Question 335 - Is lettuce countable or uncountable? Question 334 - Difference between ‘fun’ and ‘funny’ Question 333 - Lucky numbers Question 332 - How to pronounce ‘g’? Question 331 - Difference between ‘bottom’ and ‘buttocks’ Question 330 - US or British English Question 329 - Using the past tense or present perfect tense Question 328 - Pronouncing countries Question 327 - Choosing ‘do’ or ‘does’ Question 326 - Using ‘tomorrow’ and ‘take charge’ & reported speech websites Question 325 - Difference between proper nouns and common nouns Question 324 - How to use 'I' or 'me' in the sentence? Question 323 - Meaning of ‘Man's Extremity Is God's Opportunity’ Question 322 - How to say 'add oil' ["加油"] in English? Question 321- Meaning of ‘cold snap’ Question 319 - Difference between ‘slice’ & ‘piece’ and ‘bag’ and ‘packet’ Question 318 - Footwear (wellington boots and galoshes) Question 317 - Using 'is' or 'are' Question 316 - How do you say ‘2010’? Question 315 - Using ‘suggest’ Question 314 - Which is correct 'in summer' or 'in the summer'? Question 313 - Difference between ‘talk to’ and ‘talk with’ Question 312 - A bonus Question 311 - Shorter news articles Question 310 - Difference between ‘artist’ and ‘asrtiste’ Question 309 - using ‘is’ or ‘are’ with favourite Question 308 - Difference between ‘sport’ and ‘sports’ Question 307 - line up / queue up / jump the queue Question 306 - ‘a’ or ‘an’ before ‘one’ Question 305 - Soft drink Question 304 - Difference between ‘raise’ and ‘increase’ Question 303 - Difference between ‘evaluation’ and ‘assessment’ Question 302 - Teaching English through pop songs Question 301 - Meaning of ‘down to earth’ Question 300 - Ask Graham review Question 299 - Football vocabulary Question 298 - Finding out how words are used Question 296 - Meaning of ‘wind up’ Question 295 - Most common first names Question 294 - Using ‘long time no see’ and ‘no can do’ Question 293 - Types of doctors Question 292 - Correct use of ‘matter’ Question 291 - Answering questions in oral exams Question 290 - Using ‘glue’ to talk about people Question 289 - A letter to say you are leaving a school Question 288 - Why do we use ‘swine’ to talk about pigs? Question 287 - Difference between using ‘when’ and ‘that’ in relative clauses Question 286 - Difference between ‘tall’ and ‘high’ Question 285 - Talking about future months Question 284 - Answering Yes/No questions Question 283 - Two common questions Question 282 - Talking about the Hong Kong dollar Question 281 - Learn everyday objects vocabulary, such as stationery and household items Question 280 - Difference between joining and taking classes Question 279 - Listening to native speakers from different countries Question 278 - Difference between ‘lie down’ and ‘lay down’ Question 277 - Meaning of ‘a slap on the wrist’ and ‘drive someone up the wall’ Question 276 - ‘Thanks a lot’ can have a negative meaning Question 275 - How to start letters and emails Question 274 - Difference between ‘ability’ and ‘capability’ Question 273 - Difference between ‘set off for’ and ‘set off to’ Question 272 - Difference between often, usually and always & more adverbs of frequency Question 271 - Difference between ‘you are rude’ and ‘you are being rude’ Question 270 - Using the past tense to talk about facts Question 269 - Difference between ‘fade out’ and ‘fade away’ Question 268 - Difference between 'log in' and 'log on' Question 267 - How to be a champion at the English Speech Festival Question 266 - Time differences around the world Question 265 - Difference between ‘fill’ and ‘fill up’ Question 264 - Using ‘me’ or ‘to me’ Question 263 - Difference between ‘compared with’ and ‘comparing with’ Question 262 - Talking about pursuits Question 261 - Answering questions Question 260 - Difference between ‘avoid’ and ‘prevent’ Question 259 -‘friendlier’ or ‘more friendly’ Question 258 - Using ‘like’ in questions Question 257 - Examples of present and past perfect tenses Question 256 - ‘in’ the team or ‘on’ the team Question 255 - Using ‘kind of’ in the middle of sentences Title: How to make novels like ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ interesting for students Question 253 - Adding the possessive 's to names ending in ‘s’ Question 252 - Talking about eldest children Question 251 - Singular or plural when talking about two things Question 250 - Meaning of ‘soft touch’ Question 249 - Waiting list Question 248 - Asking and answering questions Question 247 - What do school prefects wear? Question 246 - Difference between ‘on’ and ‘onto’ Question 245 - How to become an English teacher Question244 - Learning ‘Exciting’ English Question 247 --Difference between ‘internal’ and ‘interior’ Question 246 -- Preposition before Father's Day Question 245 -- Difference between ‘Chinese’ and ‘China’s’ Question 244 -- Meaning of 'part company' and 'leave with your head held high' Question 243 --Using ‘common' Question 242 -- Talking about strengths and weaknesses in interviews Question 241 -- Difference between 'borrow' and 'lend' Question 240 -- Meaning & use of 'blinking idiot', 'good-for-nothing', 'stupid dummy' and 'catch him off guard' Question 239 -- Verb tense with 'first' and 'second' & 'take' or 'have' Question 238 -- Meaning of 'close of play' and 'meant to be' Question 237 -- Difference between a nation and a country & What is Tibet? Question 236 -- Using online dictionaries to find 'get on' 'get off' Question 235 -- Using 'a' or 'an' Question 234 -- Meaning of 'All Time High' Question 233 -- Meaning of 'fed up' and 'credit crunch' Question 232 -- Using 'he' or 'him' Question 231 -- Prepositions with 'playground' Question 230 -- How can I improve my writing? Question 229 -- Ending a letter or email Question 228 -- Difference between 'classic' and 'classical' Question 227 -- Are 'could have done' and 'would have done' in the past perfect tense? Question 226 -- Difference between a rat and a mouse Question 225 -- Using "I'd" Question 224 -- Meaning of 'act up' and 'music to my ears' Question 223 -- Difference between 'to me'and 'for me' Question 222 -- Difference between 'national' and 'nationwide' Question 221 -- Using 'the' to talk about musical instruments Question 220 -- Using 'milk' to talk about making the most of a situation Question 219 -- Meaning of Yuletide Question 218 -- Job titles (when to add 's' and 'al') Question 217 -- Difference between 'equipment' and 'facilities' Question 216 -- 'On/In the morning' & 'on/in time' Question 215 -- Meaning of 'on the cards' Question 214 -- Some prepositions of place and movement Question 213 -- The usage of 'different' and 'somehow' Question 212 -- Using 'kind of' and 'kinds of' Question 211 -- Difference between 'fun' and 'interesting'. Overuse of these words. Question 210 -- Meaning of 'let's play it by ear' Question 209 -- The difference between a job and a career Question 208 -- 'in a train' or 'on a train' Question 207 -- Difference between 'when' and 'while' Question 206 -- Using the present continuous (e.g. it is starting) to talk about the future Question 205 -- Difference between 'in a moment' and 'at the moment' Question 204 -- How to improve your English Question 203 -- Saying you are Chinese (talking about nationality) Question 202 -- Difference between 'high' and 'highly' Question 201 -- Different ways to talk about coffee Question 200 -- Using 'suffer' Question 199 -- Talking about checking something Question 198 -- Difference between 'UFO' & 'alien' and the meaning of 'treadmill' Question 197 -- Using 'spilt', 'ruin', 'stain' & 'spoil' Question 196 -- 'Lunchtime' or 'lunch time' Question 195 -- Difference between 'beggar' and 'busker' Question 194 -- Answering 'Why...?' questions with 'because' Question 193 -- Using 'footballers', 'going' and 'posters' Question 192 -- The HKCEE oral exam Question 191 -- Talking about 'expensive' items and high prices Question 190 -- Using 'home town' to talk about your parents' village in English Question 189 -- Meaning and use of 'granted' Question 188 -- Using 'is' or 'are' with two objects Question 187 -- The difference between 'dead' and 'died' Question 186 -- The difference between 'concern for' and 'concern with' Question 185 -- Difference between under & underneath and at home & in home Question 184 -- Idioms with 'pay' Question 183 -- Pronouncing foreign words, such as ballet and cafe Question 182 -- Meaning of 'in bulk' Question 181 -- Different types of dates Question 180 -- Making plural nouns from words ending in 'y' (e.g. studies, monkeys) Question 179 -- Using 'discuss' and 'talk about' Question 178 -- Countable nouns such as 'reductions' Question 177 -- Meaning of 'Year of the Boar' and Chinese New Year in Singapore Question 176 -- Using 'awaiting', 'longing for' and 'dying for' in writing Question 175 -- Saying 'put the desk and chairs back in their original place' informally Question 173 -- Difference between 'model' and 'modelling' Question 172 -- Difference between fare, fee, bill, charge, cost, price & expenses Question 171 - Overused words in Hong Kong - moreover & phenomenon Question 170 -- Talking with native speakers Question 169 -- Meaning of 'flirt' and 'peck on the cheek' Question 168 -- Grammar and song lyrics Question 167 -- Online listening materials at English Campus Question 166 -- Describing hair loss in men Question 165 -- Meanings of 'See you around' and 'a bit of alright' Question 164 -- Different ways to show happiness for someone Question 163 -- Describing pregnant women Question 162 -- Usage of ‘Messrs’ in business letters Question 161 -- Participating in solo verse speaking competitions Question 158 -- Plural forms of animals Question 157 -- Proper nouns Question 156 -- Using 'the' before place names Question 155 -- Writing business e-mails Question 154 -- Using the singular or plural form after collective nouns Question 153 -- Phrasal verbs often used in school Question 152 -- Difference between 'practice' and 'practise' Question 151 -- Difference between 'inform' & 'notify', 'level' & 'floor', 'buy' & 'purchase' and 'race', 'competition' & 'contest' Question 150 -- Omitting repeated words in sentences Question 149 -- Avoid using 'I' in business writing Question 148 -- Talking about the weather Question 147 -- Using 'good' and 'goodness' as nouns Question 146 -- Chat rooms for learning English Question 145 -- The difference between anyone & anybody, everyone & everybody, no one & nobody, someone & somebody Question 144 -- Idioms to describe talented people Question 143 -- Verbs that are not used in passive voice Question 142 -- Level Playing Field Question 141 -- The impersonal 'it' Question 140 -- When to follow verbs with gerunds and 'to infinitive' verbs Part 2 Question 139 -- When to follow verbs with gerunds and 'to infinitive' verbs Question 138 -- How to use 'the following' Question 137 -- The difference between 'different' and 'differing' Question 136 -- Our NET translates a Chinese saying and explains the meaning of 'We have had words' Question 135 -- Two new idioms ('milk something' and 'fall just short') Question 134 -- How to use 'born' Question 133 -- The difference between 'under' and 'underneath' Question 132 -- The difference between 'there will be' and 'it will be' Question 131 -- The difference between 'talk to' and 'talk with' Question 130 -- The difference between 'prior' and 'previous' Question 129 -- Can we say 'Long time no see' in English? Question 128 -- English idioms about 'rat' Question 127 -- Seven phrases Question 126 -- Free Websites for listening to English Music Question 125 -- Uses of 'some' and 'as of' Question 125 -- Advice on Doing Comprehension Exercises Question 119 - Others ways to say that you hate something Question 123 -- verbs followed by 'to + ing verbs' Question 122 -- Common English Mistakes Question 121 -- 'In time' and 'On time' Question 120 -- 'Better you than me' and 'Do tell' Question 119 -- 'Play' and 'Play with' Question 118 - Passive Voice Verb Tenses Question 117 - Medicine and Medication Question 111 - Others ways to say that you are angry Question 116 - "Cost" Question 115 - Big and Large Question 115 - A Chinese Idiom Question 114 - The difference between "quick" and "fast" Question 113 - If you think your child's teacher made a mistake Question 112 - Six idioms with "off" Question 111 - Helping your child speak English Question 110 - How to use "would have had" Question 109 - "at" or "on" before a phone number? 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Question 399 - Should ‘s’ be added after ‘any’ and ‘no’
Dear Graham
I would like to know whether we should use singular or plural nouns after the words 'no' and 'any'.
For example:
a. I have no book in my bag.
OR I have no books in my bag.
b. I don't have any pencil in my bag.
OR I don't have any pencils in my bag.
Regards
Alvina
Dear Alvina,
I’m sure you know that there are two types of nouns, countable (add ‘s’ for more than one) and uncountable (no 's' for more than one).
For countable nouns, we add ‘s’ to nouns after ‘any’ and ‘no’. You are not talking about one book or pencil. You are talking about many.
e.g. 1. I have no books in my bag.
2. There are no students playing basketball.
3. Are there no boys who want to learn to dance?
4. I don't have any pencils in my bag.
5. Are there any towels in the bathroom?
6. The police is looking for any witnesses to the accidents.
Best wishes,
Graham
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