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Andrei Posted 21 years ago
Grammar
Nothing or anything
I will come to the party on Monday evening unless anything untoward happens.
I will come to the party on Monday evening unless nothing untoward happens.
I must email the above to a person as I have invited to a party. I am not sure about the words 'anything' and 'nothing' in this context.
Could you tell me?
I will come to the party on Monday evening unless nothing untoward happens.
I must email the above to a person as I have invited to a party. I am not sure about the words 'anything' and 'nothing' in this context.
Could you tell me?
Top answer
'Something'-- is the better choice. 'Nothing' gives the opposite meaning.
- 'Something'-- is the better choice.
- 'Nothing' gives the opposite meaning.
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2 Answers
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'Something'-- is the better choice. 'Nothing' gives the opposite meaning.
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"unless" has an imbedded negative, so "something" or "anything" is used here.
If you used "if" instead of "unless", you would use "nothing".
The following are equivalent:
I'll go unless [something / anything] more important comes up.
I'll go if nothing more important comes up.
Personally, I prefer "something" to "anything" in this type of construction.
If you used "if" instead of "unless", you would use "nothing".
The following are equivalent:
I'll go unless [something / anything] more important comes up.
I'll go if nothing more important comes up.
Personally, I prefer "something" to "anything" in this type of construction.
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