Abstract
Innot-negated English sentences with indefinite expressions following the verb, there is variation between the indefinite article andanyas determiners of nouns. The standard view is that singular count nouns take the indefinite article and singular non-count and plural nouns takeany.However, it is possible to encounter examples likeit isn'tany threat,there isn'tany lockorI don't haveany problem.The article studies variation between the indefinite article andanyas post-verbal determiners of singular nouns in 21,084not-negated sentences in the spoken component ofThe Corpus of Contemporary American English, COCA SPOK. The indefinite article is dominant with 90 per cent of the tokens. Variation is extremely rare in sentences with copularbeand much more frequent in sentences with existentialbeandhave. Among the reasons for variation between verb types is the use ofdo-support withhave(but not withbe). Expressions such ashave a job/car/homeorthere's not a/anwith uncontractednotmay also prevent the use ofany.Variation occurs mostly with abstract nouns such asproblem,choice,way,place,reason. This finding is surprising as abstract nouns have rarely been discussed in the literature on varying countability of nouns.
Highlights
In negated English sentences with indefinite expressions following the verb, there is variation between negation by means of not and no, not-negation and no-negation (Tottie 1991b; Biber et al 1999; Wallage 2017, 2020).2 Parallel constructed examples are given in (1)–(4):I am greatly indebted to the editors of this volume of ELL and four anonymous reviewers for constructive criticism
The question remains why unstressed ANY is used rather than ART with core count nouns such as raccoon or lock, and why abstract nouns take on their count or non-count guise
Corpora of British and American English as well as other Englishes will be required as there are indications that there are differences between varieties
Summary
In negated English sentences with indefinite expressions following the verb, there is variation between negation by means of not and no, not-negation and no-negation (Tottie 1991b; Biber et al 1999; Wallage 2017, 2020). Parallel constructed examples are given in (1)–(4):I am greatly indebted to the editors of this volume of ELL and four anonymous reviewers for constructive criticism. In negated English sentences with indefinite expressions following the verb, there is variation between negation by means of not and no, not-negation and no-negation (Tottie 1991b; Biber et al 1999; Wallage 2017, 2020).. Parallel constructed examples are given in (1)–(4):. I am greatly indebted to the editors of this volume of ELL and four anonymous reviewers for constructive criticism. Mark Davies kindly answered questions concerning COCA. I thank Sebastian Hoffman for invaluable help with searching the corpus, for reading earlier versions and discussing results, and my native speaker husband, Morton D. Paley, for his input on the meaning and acceptability of any-sequences.
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