would you like some/any

[worcester]

Hi everyone,

I just came across this sentence:
Two people in a restaurant and one says :"Would you like any tea?"

As far as I know we use "some" not "any" in offers or when we ask for things.
This person is clearly offering tea to the other person. So, how come?

 

[emsr2d2]

We can offer someone something in the following ways:

Would you like tea?
Would you like some tea?
Would you like any tea?
Would you like a cup of tea?

Despite what many grammar books and some teachers say, there is no hard and fast rule about "some" and "any" in many contexts.

 

[Tdol]

Like many 'rules', it is a description of a common pattern- we do often use some in this kind of situation, but that doesn't make other possibilities wrong.