有这样一道题:“If you want a necklace, I’ll buy one for you at once.” “Oh, no. A necklace is not _________ that I need most.
A. anything                   B. something              
C. nothing                 D. everything

【分析】此题【分析】容易误选A,机械地套用以下规则:something 用于肯定句,anything 用于否定句或疑问句。当然此规则在通常情况下是有效的,但此句不属通常用法。此题的最佳答案应是B,something 在此的意思不是“某种东西”,而是指“,而是指那种东西”或“这种东西”,即心中最想要的那种东西(相当于 the thing)。同样地,下面几题的最佳答案也是 something,而不是 anything:

(1) It’s not _________ that we want to talk about; let’s change the subject.
A. anything                  B. something                 
C. nothing                   D. everything

(2) It’s not _________ I enjoy; I do it purely out of a sense of duty.
A. anything                  B. something                  
C. nothing                   D. everything

(3) Self-control is not _________ that comes with your birth.
A. anything                  B. something                  
C. nothing                  D. everything

(4) This is not _________ that would disturb me anyway.
A. anything                  B. something                   
C. nothing                  D. everything