[General] How to answer: is there any paper in your desk.

[LiuJing]

The following is a test for English class students to choose a correct answer:

Q----I want some more paper. John, do you have any in your desk?

A----__________(Nothing/None).


The students have to choose between 'nothing' and 'none'. I selected 'nothing', while the given answer is 'none'.

I know someone could say: 'No, sorry'. But it is not there for us to choose.

Is 'none' the right one there? Thank you.

 

[Barb_D]

This is a bad question.

The normal answer would be "No, sorry" just as you say, or "I don't have any."

I can't imagine ever answering "none."

 

[emsr2d2]

If those are the only two choices, then it would have to be "None", being an abbreviation of "No, I have none". Having said that, we would rarely say that. We would say "No, I don't have any".

I agree it's a bad question, or rather, it's a bad choice of answers.