[Grammar] Do/Don't you have any/some questions?

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sitifan

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1. Do you have any questions?
2. Do you have some questions?
3. Don't you have any questions?
4. Don't you have some questions?

What's the difference in meaning between the above sentences?
 
No difference. "Any" is probably more common.
 
3. Don't you have any questions?
4. Don't you have some questions?
These two may suggest surprise that no questions have been forthcoming so far. Only one of the first two would be asked immediately after the lecture/instructions.
 
No difference. "Any" is probably more common.
I was taught that "some" is used in questions that expect or encourage the answer "yes."
 
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 begiing with some or any - ~one, ~body, ~thing, ..."

 
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