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Should I use "if there is any" or "if there are any" in the following sentences? Are they all correct? Can I ever use if there is any with singular countable nouns? 

  • Please let me know if there is any problem.

  • Please let me know if there are any problems.

  • If there is any book that is better than yours, it is this one.

  • If there are any books that are better than yours, it is this one.

  • If there is any scooter or bike parked in front my door, I will throw it away.

  • If there are any scooters or bikesparked in front my door, I will throw them away.

subhajit dalal
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3 Answers3

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Like most adjectives in English, "any" does not have a grammatical number.  It works with countably singular nouns.  It works with uncountably singular nouns.  It works with plural nouns. 

The pronouns "it" and "them", however, do have grammatical number.  The pronouns "he", "she" and "it" are all singular.  The pronoun "them" is plural.*

  Please let me know if there is any problem.
  Please let me know if there are any problems.

These sentences work.  In the first, the form "is" agrees with its singular subject.  In the second, the form "are" agrees with its plural subject. 

 

  If there is any scooter or bike parked in front my door, I will throw it away.
  If there are any scooters or bikes parked in front my door, I will throw them away.

Both of these sentences work.  The "it" refers to the singular "any scooter or bike".  The "them" refers to the plural "any scooters or bikes". 

 

  If there is any book that is better than yours, it is this one. 
* If there are any books that are better than yours, it is this one. 

There is a problem with the second sentence of this pair.  In the first, "any book" is singular, and the pronoun "it" refers to this antecedent.  In the second, "any books" is plural, but "this one" is singular.  The pronoun "it" has no clear antecedent, but we have reason to use some singular form.  One way to fix the problem is to use a different pronoun:

  If there are any books that are better than yours, this is one.

Of course, another way to fix the problem is to simply use the first version of the sentence.  It's easier to keep grammatical number in agreement when only one number is relevant. 

_______________ 

* The use of "they", "them" and "their" to represent a singular person without reference to gender is gaining popularity.  Even so, we still use "it" for singular things and "they" form plural things.  The so-called singular they only works for people.

Gary Botnovcan
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  • This answer is incorrect. any is only followed by uncountable (with is) or plural countable nouns (with are). – None Jun 15 '22 at 13:33
  • If so, Alexis, then how do you explain common formations like "anyone" and "anything"? – Gary Botnovcan Jun 20 '22 at 10:25
  • https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/any English is only my 3rd language, maybe it's usual but doesn't seem to be grammatically correct looking at lots of websites. anyone/any one and anything/any thing are different (indef. pronoun vs adjective phrase) and aren't interchangeable. – None Jun 20 '22 at 13:30
  • Perhaps distinct now, but when formed? And regardless, you surely recognize that ones and things are countable, and you've just recounted that those phrases have currency. – Gary Botnovcan Jun 25 '22 at 06:05
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Your examples aren't wrong, but we would generally take the singular version of these sentences and simplify them with the article "a" like this:

Please let me know if there is a problem.

Rykara
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I prefer to say "let me know if there is any issue", this assumes my deliverable(s) has no issue and in good quality. I feel wrong to say "let me know if there are any issues", this statement to me implies contact me when there are more than one issue. Maybe I am just silly to think that way. :)