Everyone or Anyone

Question

Which would you choose in the following sentence, everyone or anyone?  Or are they both possible? (                ) has made someone angry by saying something they shouldn't have said.

Tamguatlay · Accepted Answer

Only "everyone" fits the blank.

TeacherJapan · Answer

Thank you very much for that. I'd also write "everyone" like you do.
However, I have trouble explaining why "anyone" is not possible in that case.
Could anyone help me explain why?

CalifJim · Answer

teacherJapan I have trouble explaining why "anyone" is not possible in that case.

Join the club!
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I'll try to explain it. "anyone" as subject contains the idea of "it doesn't matter who", "pick a person at random, and the statement will apply to that person". You don't want that in a generic statement that actually includes every person on the planet. (I'm aware that this is not a great explanation.)

"anyone" seems more appropriate with certain modals and modal-like expressions.
(Recall that * means 'ungrammatical'.)

Anyone can get angry. / Everyone gets angry. / *Anyone gets angry.
Anyone would believe that. / Everybody believes that. / *Anyone believes that.
Anyone could make that mistake. / Everyone makes that mistake. / *Anyone makes that mistake.

But not with 'must':
*Anyone must know that 1 and 1 is 2. / Everyone must know that 1 and 1 is 2. / Everyone knows that 1 and 1 is 2.

CJ

TeacherJapan · Answer

Thank you very much for bearing with my questions!

I am glad to know
that I am the only one who shares this problem. I somehow feel honored, though.

Thanks to your clear explanation, I think now I understand the concept.
From now on, I'll keep what you write in mind and pay attention to how "anyone"
appears in a sentence. Thank you very much again!

TeacherJapan · Answer

Sorry, I meant to say, "I am not the only one."

TeacherJapan · Answer

write?wrote  I should've checked more carefully!  Sorry!

Everyone or Anyone

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