noun after any is should be plural or singular?

nick   Sun Jul 08, 2007 3:53 pm GMT
LIke any students like it? I saw some noun after any that use singular?
Guest   Sun Jul 08, 2007 3:57 pm GMT
It depends. It's an uncountable noun, then it's singular. If it's countable, then it's plural.

Ex:

We don't have bread. ("bread" is uncountable)
We don't have any books. ("book" is countable)
Guest   Sun Jul 08, 2007 3:58 pm GMT
I meant "We don't have any bread." (the "any" emphasizes that you don't have any bread at all).
nick   Fri Jul 13, 2007 10:45 pm GMT
all right, today I see this sentence from my text book, " You want to put yourself on the road to becoming a person who can succeed in this class, or any class in college." so I have to "any classES in college". can somebody explain it to me, Please.
Travis   Fri Jul 13, 2007 10:54 pm GMT
>>It depends. It's an uncountable noun, then it's singular. If it's countable, then it's plural.<<

That really is not true. For instance, one can say "we are discussing whether any *noun* after 'any' should be plural or singular" rather than "we are discussing whether any nouns after 'any' should be plural or singular". Note though that the general usage involves the plural, and using the singular with count nouns with "any" emphasizes that those being referred to are being spoken of as individual entities rather than in a general overarching fashion.

Conversely, one can also say "you can get any of the breads in the store", rather than being limited to "you can get any of the bread in the store". Mind you that the two are not synonymous, as using the plural of a mass noun in such a fashion, outside of idiomatic usages, commonly refers to *types* of that which is being referred to, whereas the singular refers to some whole that is made up of that which is being referred to in general.
Guest   Fri Jul 13, 2007 11:29 pm GMT
It has to be plural only if it's a negative sentence. if it's a positive sentence, it can be either.
nick   Fri Jul 13, 2007 11:40 pm GMT
To Travis, I just can't understand what u said, can u put it in another way. can Someone help me to "translate" what Travis said.