xinyi1356
Senior Member
Shanghai
Chinese
- Jul 21, 2015
- #1
Should we use singular or plural after 'no' or 'any'? I'm confused as I have come across both cases and still don't understand about this, or is it okay to use either one? How to decide which one to use then?
Examples:
i. I have no book (can it be:I have no books)
ii. I have no idea(can it be:I have no ideas)
Thanks.
S
Sarakatawen
Member
English - Australia
- Jul 21, 2015
- #2
Actually all are correct. When you would use one or the other would depend on context and what you were trying to convey.
Some examples to illustrate
Q: Why aren't you reading? A: I have no book to read.
I'd like to study but I have no books here with me.
Q: Why do we have a hung parliament? A: Well, no system of government is perfect.
There are lots of ways of organising a state; democracy, theocracy, tyranny, oligarchy, etc. But, while some systems are better than others in terms of outcomes for citizens, no systems of government are perfect for all individuals.
P
Parla
Member Emeritus
New York City
English - US
- Jul 21, 2015
- #3
In general, aside from particular examples such as Sarakatawen's first one, we use the plural:
There are no children on the playground.
There aren't any eggs in the house.
Our family has no pets. Our family doesn't have any pets.
panjandrum
Senior Member
Belfast, Ireland
English-Ireland (top end)
- Jul 21, 2015
- #4
xinyi1356 said:
ii. I have no idea(can it be:I have no ideas)
I have no idea.
- This is a way of saying 'I don't know,' but more emphatically.
For example, Mrs P asks where she left her glasses, I reply 'I have no idea.'
I have no ideas.
- I don't have any ideas.
For example, Mrs P asks if I have any suggestions for where we should go for a walk. I might reply 'I have no ideas.'
That's not a very realistic example.
I have no idea = I don't know.
I have no ideas = I have no suggestions.
S
SReynolds
Senior Member
Hungarian
- Jul 21, 2015
- #5
As previously mentioned, it really depends on what you want to convey. If the question relates to one particular thing, then you usually negate it using no + singular noun. If the question is more general, the plural is more appropriate.
Edit Also, a good rule of thumb is that you would usually replace I have no + singular with I don't have a + singular, whereas I have no + plural is usually rewritten as I don't have any + plural.
"Do you have a weapon in your trunk?"
"No, I have no weapons in my trunk." (even though the question is singular, it's obvious that the person's asking about any weapons, and not just one particular weapon).
"Do you have a permit to import this?"
"No, unfortunately, I have no permit." (permit is appropriate here, because it's obvious that only one permit is needed)
"Do you own a house?"
"No, I have no house. I rent an apartment downtown." (the question is probably referring to a person's residency)
"Do you have any real estate in the city?"
"No, no houses, no lands, nothing." (this is obviously an inquiry regarding property, not residency)
"Are you currently unemployed?"
"Yes, I have no job." (this question is about the existence of one job)
"Have you ever been employed here in the UK?"
"No, I've had no jobs in the United Kingdom." (this is a general question asking about a list of jobs)
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