Intermediate grammar · Unit 86 · B1

no/none/any nothing/nobody etc.

Pronouns and determiners

Use no + noun, none, and the words nothing, nobody, no-one and nowhere to say that there is not any of something. Compare them with any and anything, which can also mean that it does not matter which or who.

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A no and none

Use no + noun (no train, no milk, no chairs). It means not a or not any.

With no The same meaning with not
There was no train. There wasn't a train.
You'll have no problem parking. You won't have any problem parking.
There were no chairs left. There weren't any chairs left.

no + noun can also begin a sentence.

Use none without a noun, or as none of .... Where no needs a noun after it, none stands on its own.

After none of + plural (none of the guests, none of them), the verb can be singular or plural. Both are correct, and neither is likely to be noticed.

  • We had to get a taxi. There was no train after midnight.
  • You'll have no problem parking. The car park's huge.
  • No explanation was offered for the delay.
  • "How much milk is left?" "None."
  • The concert's sold out. There are none left.
  • These biscuits are all for the choir. None of them are for you.
  • I've got no change. / "How much change have you got?" "None." / "I haven't got any."
  • None of the guests were late. / None of the guests was late.

B nothing, nobody / no-one, nowhere

These words can begin a sentence, or stand alone as the answer to a question.

They also come after a verb, particularly after be and have.

nothing / nobody / nowhere mean the same as not + anything / anybody / anywhere:

no- word not + any- word
I heard nothing. I didn't hear anything.
Kath told nobody. Kath didn't tell anybody.
They've got nowhere to stay. They haven't got anywhere to stay.

With nothing, nobody and the rest, the verb is positive. Say I heard nothing, not I didn't hear nothing. Two negatives in standard English do not make a stronger negative. They make a mistake.

  • "Who's going to win?" "Nobody knows." / "No-one knows."
  • "What did he say?" "Nothing."
  • "Where are you off to?" "Nowhere. I'm stopping in."
  • The shop's closed down. There's nobody working there now.
  • We had nothing to do all afternoon.
  • I heard nothing. (not I didn't hear nothing)

C nobody / no-one with they, them, their

After nobody or no-one, use they / them / their to mean he or she, him or her, his or her. The verb after nobody stays singular.

  • Nobody likes being kept waiting, do they?
  • No-one remembered what I'd told them.
  • Nobody on the team had brought their boots.

D no- and any-: compared

any / anything / anybody and the rest can mean it does not matter which, what or who. Compare them with the no- words, which mean none at all.

no- any- (it does not matter which/what/who)
There was no lift, so we took the stairs. You can use any lift. They all go to the top.
"What would you like?" "Nothing, thanks." I'm starving. I'd eat anything.
It's a horrible job. Nobody wants it. It's a simple job. Anybody could do it.
  • There was no lift, so we took the stairs.
  • You can use any lift. They all go to the top floor.
  • "What would you like?" "Nothing, thanks. I've just eaten."
  • I'm starving. I'd eat anything.
  • It's a horrible job. Nobody wants it.
  • It's a simple job. Anybody could do it.

Exercises

86.1 Complete the sentences with no, none or any.

  1. It was Boxing Day, so there were no buses running.

    It was Boxing Day, so there were no buses running.

  2. I haven't got any cash. Could you pay for the chips?

    I haven't got any cash. Could you pay for the chips?

  3. We had to get the bus. There were trains.

  4. We had to get the bus. There weren't trains.

  5. "How many teabags have we got?" ". I'll pop to the shop."

  6. You can't get across the road here. There's crossing.

  7. I tried on a few coats, but of them fitted properly.

  8. "Did you buy lots of presents?" "No, I didn't buy ."

  9. I had to sell the van. I had choice.

  10. I don't like of these curtains. They're hideous.

  11. The quiz was called off because of the teams turned up.

  12. The whole street knows Dave's moving to Leeds. It's secret.

  13. Both phones do exactly the same thing. There isn't difference.

  14. "Do you know what time the chippy opens?" "Sorry, I've got idea."

86.2 Answer each question with none, nobody, nothing or nowhere (items 1 to 6). Then answer the same questions again with any, anybody, anything or anywhere (items 7 to 12).

  1. "What did you watch on telly last night?" "Nothing. The telly's broken."

    "What did you watch on telly last night?" "Nothing. The telly's broken."

  2. "Who are you looking at?" ". I'm just staring into space."

  3. "How many stamps did you buy?" ". We've still got plenty."

  4. "Where are you off to?" ". I'm stopping in tonight."

  5. "How many emails have you sent today?" ". I've been in meetings since nine."

  6. "How much did they charge you for parking?" ". It was free."

  7. (1) What did you watch on telly last night? I didn't watch anything.

    I didn't watch anything.

  8. (2) Who are you looking at? I'm .

  9. (3) How many stamps did you buy? I .

  10. (4) Where are you off to? I'm .

  11. (5) How many emails have you sent today? I .

  12. (6) How much did they charge you for parking? They .

86.3 Complete the sentences with no- or any- + -body, -thing or -where.

  1. I don't want anything to eat. I had a big lunch.

    I don't want anything to eat. I had a big lunch.

  2. The waiting room was empty. There was in it.

  3. "Where did you go at half-term?" ". We stayed at home."

  4. "Can you hear a dripping noise?" "No, I can't hear ."

  5. The customers all seemed happy. asked for a refund.

  6. I'll drive. We can stop you want.

  7. My old school looks exactly as it did twenty years ago. has changed.

  8. "What did you get in the sale?" ". I couldn't find in my size."

  9. You could have heard a pin drop in the meeting. said .

86.4 Which is right? Choose the correct word.

  1. He didn't tell ___ (nobody / anybody) he'd been made redundant.

    anybody

    He didn't tell anybody he'd been made redundant.

  2. The fire looked serious, but luckily ___ (nobody / anybody) was hurt.

  3. I knocked on the door, but I couldn't hear ___ (no-one / anyone) inside.

  4. The instructions are simple. ___ (Nobody / Anybody) can follow them.

  5. "What's in the fridge?" "___ (Nothing / Anything). We need to go shopping."

  6. Nobody knows how the match will go. ___ (Nothing / Anything) could happen.

  7. I don't know ___ (nothing / anything) about cars.

  8. Feel free to ring me with ___ (no / any) problems you have.

  9. "Who was that on the phone?" "___ (No-one / Anyone). I wasn't speaking to ___ (no-one / anyone)."

See also