Page 81 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford
P. 81
51
1
Which newspaper would you like?- It doesn't matter. Any one. (= one or another or another) (NOT ••• Every 6m?)
On the stand there were newspapers and magazines ofevery lcind. (= one and another and another) (NOT ••• ntttgM!ines 6,ltln'y kind.)
For more infonnation about any, see 55. For every, see 193.
any and no: adverbs any and no with comparatives
Any can modify comparatives. This happens mostly in questions and negative sentences, and after if (see also 381).
Can you go any faster?
You don't look any older than your daughter. (= You don't look at all
older ...)
If I were any younger, I'd fall in love with you. No can also be used in this way (but not some).
I'm afraid the weather's no better than yesterday.
any/no different
We can also use any and no with different.
This school isn't any different from the last one.
Is John any better?- No different. Still very ill. any/no good; any/no use
Note the expressions any good/use and no good/use.
Was the film any good? This watch is no use. It keeps stopping.
appear
link verb: 'seem'
Appear can be a link verb (see 328), used to say how things look or seem. It is used in similar ways to seem (see 507 for details), but is less frequent, especially in an informal style.
With this meaning, appear is followed by adjectives, not adverbs. We can use appear or appear to be.
Re appears (to be) very angry today. (NOT He titfJf1etl's rJery angt'ily fflMy.) Before nouns we generally use appear to be.
lt appears to be some kind ofbomb.
The boys on the bus appeared to be students.
structures with preparatory there (see 587) or it (see 446) are possible. There appears to be a problem with the oil pressure.
It appears that we may be mistaken.
appear and seem: differences
Seem can be used to talk both about objective facts and about subjective impressions and feelings (see 507 for examples). Appear is mostly used to talk about objective facts. Compare:
2
3
58
1
2
appear 58
page 49