/ˈeniθɪŋ/
Translation
A thing of any kind, when it does not matter which one.
Word origin
From any plus thing, two Old English words that ran together into one.
- Origin
- Old English
- Root
- any and thing
Examples
?
"Anything" asks about a thing of any kind.
.
Here "anything" means any question at all, so it does not matter which one.
.
With "not", "anything" means no thing at all.
Used in
Stories
(11)Before the Doors Open
4 min read · Core 5000
One Sheep Short
4 min read · Core 5000
The Boat in the Garden
4 min read · Core 5000
Two Gardens
4 min read · Core 5000
Not in Front of Them
5 min read · Core 1000
The First Letter
5 min read · Core 5000
The Night Route
5 min read · Core 5000
The Register
5 min read · Core 5000
The Suggestion Box
5 min read · Core 5000
The Whale on the Beach
5 min read · Core 5000
The Last Light
8 min read · Core 5000
Grammar articles
(17)Adverb position in English: before the verb, after be, and the just, still and already traps
British vs American grammar: have got, gotten, the team are, and the other quiet differences
Compound nouns in English: car park, coffee cup, and why GREENhouse is not green HOUSE
Dummy subjects in English: it's raining, there's a problem, and why the subject slot is never empty
Ellipsis and substitution in English: I think so, neither do I, and the words you are allowed to leave out
Future tense in English: will, going to and more explained
Hedging and vague language in English: sort of, a bit, -ish, stuff and or so
Inversion and word order in English: the subject-verb-object spine and when it flips
Mixed conditionals in English: past causes with present results, and present causes with past results
Nominalisation in English: arrive becomes arrival, decide becomes decision, and why written English turns actions into things
Participle clauses in English: -ing and -ed clauses, and the dangling participle trap
Advanced passive structures in English: the get-passive, it is said that, and passives with two objects
Past perfect tense: had plus past participle, and when English actually needs it
Phrasal verbs in English: rules, examples and how to use them
Present simple tense: rules, examples and when to use it
Question tags in English: the mirror rule, aren't I, and tags after let's and imperatives
Word formation in English: how suffixes build word families and give away the part of speech
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