Some/any

[Rachel Adams]

Hello.

Can I omit "some" and "any" in my sentences? Will they sound natural?

1."I bought some mushrooms."

2. "I bought some milk."

3. "We have some milk in the fridge."

4. "I have books about Irish history."

5. "I didn't buy any mushrooms."

6. "I didn't buy any milk."

7. "We don't have any milk in the fridge."

8. "I don't have any books about Irish history."

 

[emsr2d2]

All the food-related ones would be OK without "some/any". I find the ones about books unnatural.

 

[PeterCW]

If spoken there are subtle differences in meaning when using "some" depending on which word you stress.

"I bought some mushrooms" means that you bought mushrooms.

"I bought some mushrooms" means that the quantity is be less than the person you are speaking to may be expecting.

 

[Rachel Adams]

"I bought some mushrooms."

"I bought some mushrooms."


Some is pronounced /səm/ in the first sentence and /sʌm/ in the second in BrE.

Is it because stressed/strong forms are pronounced clearly? I am asking about /sʌm/. Do verbs also have strong forms?

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Is it because stressed/strong forms are pronounced clearly? I am asking about /sʌm/. Do verbs also have strong forms?

In American English, we don't change a word's pronunciation when we stress it. We pronounce some the same way, whether it's stressed or not.

 

[GoesStation]

In American English, we don't change a word's pronunciation when we stress it. We pronounce some the same way, whether it's stressed or not.

That's not right. Other vowels tend to become schwas in the unstressed pronunciation.