Someone/anyone/you when addressing people

Buddy42

Junior Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2014
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
German
Home Country
Germany
Current Location
Germany
Hello,
let's imagine being on a class trip. The class is going to visit a museum and the teacher warns them before they enter it:
I want you to behave properly. I want to be sure that I won't catch
a) you touching anything.
b) someone touching anything.
c) anyone touching anything.

Usually, we replace "somebody", like in "to catch sb doing sth" with a noun or pronoun, as in a).
c) sounds acceptable to me as well, like in "anyone here in this class", no matter who. But it may also refer to any person in the museum.
b) makes me wonder...?

Which one is the most appropriate one in the situation mentioned above?
Thanks in advance
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
I want to be sure that I won't catch
a) you touching anything.

c) anyone touching anything.


Both of those work.
 

Skrej

VIP Member
Joined
May 11, 2015
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
Replace 'anything' with 'something' in sentence B, and then it could work.
 

Buddy42

Junior Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2014
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
German
Home Country
Germany
Current Location
Germany
Replace 'anything' with 'something' in sentence B, and then it could work.
That's interesting. Why?
But b) is kind of weird then, right?
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
I'm not keen on B even with "someone" and "something". After "I don't want to catch ...", I'd expect "you", "anyone" or "any of you".
 

Skrej

VIP Member
Joined
May 11, 2015
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
That's interesting. Why?
But b) is kind of weird then, right?
With the noted correction, I don't see anything odd about it. I can't elaborate why 'something' works when 'anything' doesn't.
 
Top