[Grammar] Some vs Any - Need assistance explaining a sentence

[krisinbrazil]

I am a new ESL teacher. I just finished teaching a unit on the use of "some" and "any". Of course, we teach that we use "any" with negative sentences, and that "some" is used with questions expecting an affirmative response. Then we do exercises and the following sentence is in the textbook exercises and always confuses my students.

"Most kids like TV, but _____ poor kids never watch it."

My students invariably choose "any" for the answer, because it's not a question and it appears as though it's a negative sentence. How can I properly explain why "some" is the correct answer?

Thank you for your help.

 

[5jj]

Of course, we teach that we use "any" with negative sentences, and that "some" is used with questions expecting an affirmative response.

You often see versions of this in books, and hear teachers giving similar 'rules' to their students, but there are so many exceptions that it's better not to teach it, in my opinion.


Michael Lewis [The English Verb, (1986), Hove: LTP] wrote:

“Both some and any are used with indefinite reference.
Some is used if the idea is restricted or limited in some way.
Any is used if the idea is unrestricted or unlimited.
Any applies to all or none; some applies to part.

The restriction may be a real one – There’s some cheese in the fridge – or a psychological one, existing only in the mind of the speaker – Would you like something to eat?

The real semantic distinction is as simple as that, and applies to all uses of some and any.”

Lewis could have added, "and to all words begining with some or any - ~one, ~body, ~thing, ..."

 

[krisinbrazil]

Thank you. I need some assistance in teaching the idea of "some" as having a restriction. I'm having difficulty getting my students to comprehend. Any help is appreciated!