Any + singular/Any + plural

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Anonymous

#563499 Sun, 07 Sep 08 06:30 PM

Hello everybody!

I couldn't find this word in any dictionaries.
I couldn't find this word in any dictionary.

Is there any difference between the two sentences?
If there isn't any difference, which is the best choice?

Besides, supposing I have been searching a word and now I have just closed my dictionary (or perhaps just a few minutes ago), which form should I use between the following ones?

I couldn't find this word...
I wasn't able to find this word...
I haven't been able to find this word...

Thanks in advance!

Anonymous

Difference Between

Kooyeen

#563504 Sun, 07 Sep 08 06:46 PM

Hey, I once asked the same question here! LOL
The truth is "any" and "some" are difficult to understand, there are a lot of exceptions. I was told that in cases like those it's best to use the singular "in any dictionary". But I actually think that the plural is not wrong, and it's ok if you expected to find that word in more than one dictionary. Hmm... I am confused again now! Grr! I would ask "Did you find it in any dictionaries?" and then answer "No, I didn't find it in any dictionary". Plural in the question, singular in the answer. I wonder if that actually makes sense.

As for the other question, all your versions are ok, but the use of the present perfect "haven't been able" might imply you haven't given up searching yet, or that the fact you wasn't able to find it is relevant now for some reason... in other words, you need to know the difference between the present perfect and the simple past. In your example, I would choose the simple past, sice there seems to be no reason to use the present perfect. Smile

You'd better wait for some native speaker if you want a definite answer about "any" though. Smile

Kooyeen

Joined on Thu, Dec 22 2005

Italy

Senior Member (4,062)

If you don't have a sense of humor already, it's about time you buy one.

Plurals, Difference Between, Simple Past, Present Perfect

CalifJim

#563538 Sun, 07 Sep 08 10:20 PM

Anonymous
I couldn't find this word in any dictionaries.
I couldn't find this word in any dictionary.

Is there any difference between the two sentences?
If there isn't any difference, which is the best choice?

Both are grammatical. The singular is better (more idiomatic), in my opinion. Unfortunately, it is difficult to capture the conditions under which the singular (or plural) is most suitable. Here, for example, you looked into each dictionary, one at a time, so singular seems more appropriate. Further, once you find the word in one dictionary, presumably your search is done; in this case the singular again seems more appropriate. This is not a grammatical explanation, of course, but a situational one, and I'm afraid that the choice is usually made on the basis of situations rather than on rules.

Anonymous
I have just closed my dictionary (or perhaps just a few minutes ago), which form should I use between the following ones?

I couldn't find this word...
I wasn't able to find this word...
I haven't been able to find this word...

Use I couldn't find this word. wasn't able to is OK too.

But if you did find it, use I was able to find ... -- not I could find .... could alone cannot convey the idea of having succeeded, while, in seeming contradiction, could not alone can convey the idea of having failed!