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Twistedthistle Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
"any" - which sense?
Hi everyone, I'm just double checking--In the following sentence,
"The most difficult thing any parent has to to is to watch their child grow up"
the word "any" is being used in the following sense (from Oxford) , right?
2. [as determiner]: whichever of a specified class might be chosen:
e.g These constellations are visible at any hour of the night
(http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/any?q=any)
Thanks for your help!
TT
"The most difficult thing any parent has to to is to watch their child grow up"
the word "any" is being used in the following sense (from Oxford) , right?
2. [as determiner]: whichever of a specified class might be chosen:
e.g These constellations are visible at any hour of the night
(http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/any?q=any)
Thanks for your help!
TT
Top answer
I don't think that's the correct meaning description for this usage. You could also say "The most difficult thing all parents have to do," (or " every parent has to do", or " each parent has to do") and mean basically the same thing. (any parent you want to choose) On the other hand, the dictionary you cite doesn't really list what I would consider the correct definition of "any" in this case.
- I don't think that's the correct meaning description for this usage.
- You could also say "The most difficult thing all parents have to do," (or " every parent has to do", or " each parent has to do") and mean basically the same thing.
- (any parent you want to choose) On the other hand, the dictionary you cite doesn't really list what I would consider the correct definition of "any" in this case.
- I'll take a look elsewhere.
- com/dictionary/any Take a look at 1.
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3 Answers
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I don't think that's the correct meaning description for this usage.
You could also say "The most difficult thing all parents have to do," (or "every parent has to do", or "each parent has to do") and mean basically the same thing. (any parent you want to choose)
On the other hand, the dictionary you cite doesn't really list what I would consider the correct defi
You could also say "The most difficult thing all parents have to do," (or "every parent has to do", or "each parent has to do") and mean basically the same thing. (any parent you want to choose)
On the other hand, the dictionary you cite doesn't really list what I would consider the correct defi
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Thanks for the help Avangi--as a sort of tie in question, would you say that this sentence is grammatically sound? (I'm sure there are better ways to phrase, but for the sake of argument...)
Perhaps the most famous achievement of any mountaineer was the conquering of Everest by Edmund Hillary in 1953.
It seems OK, right? I guess the sense of "any" here is "whatever mountaineer
Perhaps the most famous achievement of any mountaineer was the conquering of Everest by Edmund Hillary in 1953.
It seems OK, right? I guess the sense of "any" here is "whatever mountaineer
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These have the same meaning, imo:
"The most difficult thing any parent has to do is to watch their child grow up"
"The most difficult thing a parent has to do is to watch their child grow up"
"The most difficult thing any parent has to do is to watch their child grow up"
"The most difficult thing a parent has to do is to watch their child grow up"
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