一般用于疑问句或否定句中,用于never, hardly, without等词之后,用于if / whether之后。 而some则用于肯定句中,用于建议或请求的疑问句中,用于预料会作肯定回答的疑问句中,用于表示反问的否定的疑句中。
如:1. I’d been expecting ________ letters the whole morning, but there weren’t ________ for me. (全国卷)
A. some; any                        
B. many; a few
C. some; one                        
D. a few; none
【分析】答案选A。前一分句是肯定句,用some,后一分句是否定名句,用any。另外,后一分句的weren’t显示这是否定句,主语应为复数,排除C和D;many一般不用于肯定句,a few一般用于肯定句,排除B。

2. Let us hope we can settle the matter without ________ more trouble. (全国卷)
A. any                                   
B. a little
C. some                                 
D. little
【分析】答案选A。without表否定,用any。

3. Sarah has read lots of stories by American writers. Now she would like to read ________ stories by writers from ________ countries. (全国卷)
A. some; any                          
B. some;some
C. some; other                        
D. other; other
【分析】答案选C。肯定句中用some表示“一些”,other作定语,意为“别的”。

4. There’s ________ cooking oil left in the house. Would you go to the corner store and get ________ ? (北京卷)
A. little; some                            
B. little; any
C. a little; some                          
D. a little; any
【分析】答案选A。后句是表示请求的问句中,用some,排除B和D;由后文的意思可知,语气是否定的,排除C。

5. ―I fee a bit hungry. ―Why don’t you have ________ bread? (全国卷)
A. any                                       
B. some
C. little                                       
D. a
【分析】答案选B。表示建议的疑问句中用some。