"A person" vs "someone" vs "anyone"

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thehammer

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Hello, I have a trouble understanding the differences between 'a person', 'someone' and 'anyone' in the following sentences?

1- I am not interested in talking to someone/a person/anyone who is afraid of standing up against injustice.
2- Our company is looking for a person/someone who has a good experience in the computer.
3- When you don't like a person/someone/anyone, you avoid them.
4- When a girls don't want to carry on a conversation with someone/a person, she texts late.
 
In sentences 1, 2 and 4, all three work.

In 2, "a good experience in the computer" is wrong. You need "good experience [with computers]/[working with computers]".

In 3, "anyone" doesn't work. The other two do.

In 4, you need "girl", not "girls".

The meaning may change a little depending on what you use.
 
Are you just asking which ones work in your sentences? Or are you asking what the differences between them are? It sounds like the latter.

In the way you're asking about, a person and someone are synonyms, and as such can be used interchangeably in certain contexts. However, anyone is quite different.
 
jutfrank said:
Are you just asking which ones work in your sentences? Or are you asking what the differences between them are? It sounds like the latter.

In the way you're asking about, a person and someone are synonyms, and as such can be used interchangeably in certain contexts. However, anyone is quite different.
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I want to know the difference between them, especially in negative sentences.

Here are two other examples:

5- If you love anyone/a person/someone, tell them without hesitation.
6- I don't want to help anyone/a person/someone like you.
 
Last edited:
Say: "I have trouble understanding ...." (No question mark.)

The word "anyone" doesn't make sense in number five (post #4).
 
thehammer said:
I want to know the difference between them, especially in negative sentences.
Click to expand...

Okay. First, please tell us where you're taking all these example sentences from.
 
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jutfrank said:
Okay. First, please tell us where you're taking all these example sentences from.
Click to expand...
I've made up the sentences myself, as I have doubt about those words in bold letters. If you explain them in details, I will be able to learn from it.
 
It's not easy to understand the difference in meaning between some and any. I usually start explaining it like this:

  • Use someone when you have a specific person in mind.

I don't want to be with someone who treats me like dirt.

In this sentence, I'm thinking specifically of my girlfriend and the way that she has treated me. My girlfriend is one specific person, and I'm thinking about her when I speak.


  • Use anyone when you don't have a specific person in mind.

I don't trust anyone who doesn't love animals.

In this sentence, I'm making a general statement about people. I'm not thinking of a particular individual.


Is that clear so far? If so, let's take your first example, which is actually a good one:

a) I am not interested in talking to someone who is afraid of standing up against injustice.
b) I am not interested in talking to anyone who is afraid of standing up against injustice.

Bearing in mind what I've said, can you tell me what the difference is between these two variations? Think about what's going on in the speaker's mind.
 
jutfrank said:
It's not easy to understand the difference in meaning between some and any. I usually start explaining it like this:

  • Use someone when you have a specific person in mind.

I don't want to be with someone who treats me like dirt.

In this sentence, I'm thinking specifically of my girlfriend and the way that she has treated me. My girlfriend is one specific person, and I'm thinking about her when I speak.


  • Use anyone when you don't have a specific person in mind.

I don't trust anyone who doesn't love animals.

In this sentence, I'm making a general statement about people. I'm not thinking of a particular individual.


Is that clear so far? If so, let's take your first example, which is actually a good one:

a) I am not interested in talking to someone who is afraid of standing up against injustice.
b) I am not interested in talking to anyone who is afraid of standing up against injustice.

Bearing in mind what I've said, can you tell me what the difference is between these two variations? Think about what's going on in the speaker's mind.
Click to expand...
Yes! a means a specific person (maybe my brother) is afraid of standing against injustice and I'm not interested in talking to him. And 'b' is a general statement, which is like I'm speaking my mind. Thank you!

Can I use 'a person' instead of 'someone' in sentence 'a'?
 
That's right. Well done.

thehammer said:
Can I use 'a person' instead of 'someone' in sentence 'a'?
Click to expand...

There's no need to do that. Focus here on how to use some and any.

If you really want to know the differences between someone and a person, we should use different example sentences. It's an entirely different question.
 
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