Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Mita Rosmina]

hi guys...
I am still confuse use this two words
when I can use anything and when i can use everything..
in what condition??
if u know ,please tell me
thanks...

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Mita Rosmina

[Jitu5]

Anything is used to describe range or emphasis: I was ready for anything. Or a thing; no matter what: Nobody was saying anything.

Everything is used for all things in a class or group: I know a cure for everything. Or things of importance such as a great deal or an aspect: Money isn't everything. Or: I lost everything in the crash.

Everything could also describe a situation: How's everything? (This is important to know when learning other languages).
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Jitu5

www.manuscriptedit.com

[redset]

You can look at it this way too:

Everything means 'all things'. Not just one or some, but all.

Anything is like the opposite of 'nothing'. One thing, two things, some things, even everything - just not nothing.

Imagine a table filled with lots of different kinds of food, and your friend is hungry.

"He'll eat everything."
This means he will eat all of the food. There won't be any left!

"He'll eat anything."
This means there's nothing on the table he won't eat. Pie? He'll eat that. Cakes? He'll eat that. Whatever you offer, he'll eat it! He might not be hungry enough to clear the table, but he likes all of the different kinds of food.


We use anything in questions a lot, when we don't know what our options are:
"Is there anything to eat in the fridge?"
We're hungry, so we ask if there are any options. We don't care what they are right now, so long as we can eat them!

"Is anything wrong?"
You sometimes ask this if you think there's a problem, but you don't know what it is. If there's nothing wrong, the other person will say no.

"Is everything wrong?"
Nobody would really say this - if everything is wrong, then you have so many problems that nothing is right! (Sometimes people will say it for dramatic effect though. "Everything is going wrong! I hurt my hand, I lost my watch, I was late for work, I have a headache...")

"Is everything ok?"
This is the opposite question - you're asking 'are all things ok?' If the person has no problems, then everything is fine! If they do have a problem, then everything is not ok, because it's not true for all things. (They might still say that everything's ok though, because nobody's life is perfect right? )

The difference is quite subtle, but you'll get it.

[contra10]

redset gave the best explanation, anything can mean any amout of something
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