Meaning & use
some
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Meanings
determiner
A quantity or number that is not stated exactly, more than none but not all.
Grammar: Used before plural countable nouns or uncountable nouns: some books, some water. In questions and negatives, 'any' is more usual: Do you have any books?
Patterns
- some + plural noun
- some + uncountable noun
I bought some apples at the market.
There is some milk in the fridge.
She gave me some advice about the job.
determiner
Used to refer to a particular person or thing that is not known or not specified.
Grammar: Used before a singular countable noun: some man, some day. Often implies the speaker does not know or does not want to say which one.
Patterns
- some + singular noun
Some person left a package at the door.
I read it in some magazine at the dentist's office.
We'll meet again some day.
pronoun
An unspecified number or amount of people or things.
Grammar: Stands alone as a pronoun: Some of the students were late. Can be followed by 'of' + the/these/my etc.
Patterns
- some of + determiner + noun
- some of it/them
Some of the cookies were burnt.
I'll take some of these, please.
Some say it will rain tomorrow.
adverbformal
Used before a number to mean approximately or about.
Grammar: Comes before a number: some 20 people. In this sense it is more formal and common in writing.
Patterns
- some + number
Some 200 people attended the concert.
The journey took some three hours.
The company employs some 500 workers.
Common combinations
- some of
- Some of my friends are coming over tonight.
- some more
- Would you like some more tea?
- some kind of
- It was some kind of bird, but I'm not sure which.
- some day
- Some day I'll travel around the world.
- to some extent
- I agree with you to some extent.
- in some ways
- In some ways, the old system was better.
Synonyms and how they differ
- any
- Use 'any' instead of 'some' in most questions and negative sentences: Do you have any money? I don't have any money.
- a few
- Used with plural countable nouns to emphasize a small number; 'some' is more general and can also be used with uncountable nouns.
- a little
- Used with uncountable nouns to emphasize a small amount; 'some' is more neutral and can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns.
- certain
- Used before a noun to mean 'particular but not named'; 'some' is vaguer and less formal.
Opposites
Commonly confused: some or sum?
some vs sum
Sum is a noun meaning the total of numbers added together or an amount of money. Some is a determiner or pronoun meaning an unspecified amount.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
'Some' is typically used in positive statements, so 'I have some money' is correct. 'Any' is more usual in negatives and questions: 'I don't have any money' and 'Do you have any money?'
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “some”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.