Are / Is there any

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dido4

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Which of the following sentences is right?

1. Is there any dog in the park?
2. Are there any dogs in the park?

Would you please give some examples?

Thank you
 
dido4 said:
Which of the following sentences is right?

1. Is there a[STRIKE]ny[/STRIKE] dog in the park?:tick:
2. Are there any dogs in the park?:tick:
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5
 
But I think there should be a difference between the corrected sentence 1 and the sentnce 2.
 
Which of the following sentences is right?

1. Is there any dog in the park? -- the interest is in the existence of a dog in the park, no matter what breed of dog
2. Are there any dogs in the park? -- the interest is in the number of dogs
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Both.

Ask any grammarian if you do not trust me. :)
 
Nathan Mckane said:
But I think there should be a difference between the corrected sentence 1 and the sentence 2.
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Yes.

In #1, the speaker does not know whether or not there is a dog in the park. Possibly he suspects there might be one.

#2 is a far more general question, and is therefore the one we would be most likely to hear. This is not so much a question for a grammarian as a reflection of real life. Assuming that the park is not tiny, there are more likely to be a number of dogs than one. So the general question with any covers all numbers, including one.
 
corum said:
Both.

Ask any grammarian if you do not trust me. :)
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Thank you all.

According to Corum's idea, that means the sentence below is also right?
Is there any dog in the park?
 
dido4 said:
Which of the following sentences is right?

1. Is there any dog in the park?
2. Are there any dogs in the park?

Would you please give some examples?

Thank you
Click to expand...

Both are grammatical. #1, however, is natural only with emphasis on 'any'. For the normal,　unemphatic form of the question, we would use either #2, or (as someone has already suggested)

Is there a dog in the park?
 
dido4 said:
Thank you all.

According to Corum's idea, that means the sentence below is also right?
Is there any dog in the park?
Click to expand...

***** NOT ***** A ***** TEACHER *****


Would someone please tell me whether I have understood the proper

use of this unusual question? If I have, I shall credit those who taught

me; if I have not, I shall delete the post. (Dido: It is necessary to

stress the word "any." That is, you must say it louder than the

other words. I used bold (black) type to remind you.)

*****


AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE WORLD PEACE PARK

Tom: Good morning, officers. Could you tell me whether there are

any dogs in the park now? If there are, I must leave, for I am afraid

of dogs.

Officer Smith: Well, sir, I did see three large dogs about an hour ago.

Officer Jones: Oh, their owners took them home a half hour ago.

Officer Smith: There you go, sir. There are no dogs in the park. Please

come in.

Officer Johnson: Sorry, guys! But I saw a little dog about ten

minutes ago.

Officers Smith and Jones: Oh, really?

Tom: Officers, please! I have to know. Is there ANY dog in the park

right now? If there is ANY dog ( = even one dog), I will not come in.
 
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