In the English Grammar Profile, there are a few grammar points that overlap and clash across CEFR levels A2, B1 in regards to the use of the indefinite pronoun: ‘anything.‘ To make things worse, ‘anything‘ is listed at A1 in the English Vocabulary Profile with an A1 student example:
… I can’t say anything.
A2 point 9 in the category of NEGATION is defined:
limited range of determiners as pronouns and indefinite pronouns in negative contexts. Pronouns: quantity
The English Grammar Profile examples also include many, any.
A2 point 19 in the category of PRONOUNS:
‘anything’ after a negative verb form.
B1 point 13 in the category of NEGATION is defined:
an increasing range of indefinite pronouns in negative contexts
Other examples include nothing, anyone.
This also overlaps the B1 point for ‘nothing anyone everywhere’
iWeb searches for:
_XX * many|any .
1 N’T HAVE ANY. 1614
I just don’t like kids.
I‘m so glad you don’t have any.
In this context, “any” is used as a pronoun to refer back to “kids”. The speaker is expressing relief that the person they’re speaking to doesn’t have any children. It’s a more concise way to express the same idea.
2 N’T FIND ANY. 877
3 NOT TOO MANY. 444
4 NOT FIND ANY. 370
5 NOT HAVE ANY. 342
6 N’T SEE ANY. 331
7 NOT THAT MANY. 295
8 N’T GET ANY. 263
9 NOT VERY MANY. 241
10 NOT AS MANY. 161
11 N’T BE ANY. 139
12 N’T NEED ANY. 129
13 N’T FOUND ANY. 112
14 N’T THAT MANY. 104
15 NOT SEE ANY. 103
16 NOT HAVING ANY. 97
17 N’T SEEN ANY. 91
_XX * * * anything
1 N’T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING 3419
2 N’T NEED TO DO ANYTHING 2289
3 N’T WANT TO DO ANYTHING 1784
4 N’T THINK THERE’S ANYTHING 1698
5 NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING 1407
6 NOT THAT THERE’S ANYTHING 1396
7 NOT NEED TO DO ANYTHING 1182
8 N’T THINK THERE IS ANYTHING 1138
9 N’T SEEM TO DO ANYTHING 976
10 N’T SEEM TO FIND ANYTHING 802
11 NOT HAVE TO DO ANYTHING 796
12 NOT THAT THERE IS ANYTHING 764
13 N’T COME UP WITH ANYTHING 675
14 N’T WANT TO SAY ANYTHING 660
15 N’T SEEM TO BE ANYTHING 611
16 N’T GOING TO DO ANYTHING 589
17 NOT EAT OR DRINK ANYTHING 522
18 N’T HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING 516
19 N’T NEED TO KNOW ANYTHING 483
20 N’T HAVE TO BE ANYTHING 456
21 NOT GOING TO SAY ANYTHING 417
22 N’T THINK THERE WAS ANYTHING 400
23 NOT THAT I HAVE ANYTHING 399
24 N’T WANT TO HAVE ANYTHING 391
25 N’T DO MUCH OF ANYTHING 388
26 NOT WANT TO DO ANYTHING 381
27 N’T THINK IT HAS ANYTHING 376
28 NOT HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING 359
29 N’T HAVE ASKED FOR ANYTHING 347
30 N’T TRADE IT FOR ANYTHING 345
1 N’T THINK OF ANYTHING 5053
2 N’T REALLY DO ANYTHING 1914
3 NOT TO DO ANYTHING 1626
4 NOT TO SAY ANYTHING 1388
5 N’T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING 1260
6 N’T ASK FOR ANYTHING 1133
7 N’T TELL YOU ANYTHING 903
8 NOT TO TAKE ANYTHING 885
9 N’T COST YOU ANYTHING 847
It didn’t cost you anything.
10 NOT THAT THERES ANYTHING 841
11 NOT THINK OF ANYTHING 836
12 N’T ACTUALLY DO ANYTHING 705
The interesting thing about me is
I don’t actually do anything.
13 N’T REALLY KNOW ANYTHING 646
14 N’T REALLY MEAN ANYTHING 629
15 NOT LOOKING FOR ANYTHING 610
16 N’T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING 587
17 N’T SETTLE FOR ANYTHING 538
18 N’T TELL ME ANYTHING 526
19 N’T TELL US ANYTHING 522
20 NOT BECAUSE OF ANYTHING 507
21 N’T LOOK LIKE ANYTHING 503
22 NOT CONNECTED TO ANYTHING 487
23 N’T REALLY SAY ANYTHING 475
24 NOT AWARE OF ANYTHING 409
25 NOT AFRAID OF ANYTHING 384
26 N’T REALLY SEE ANYTHING 369
27 N’T KNOW OF ANYTHING 358
28 NOT REALLY DOING ANYTHING 356
29 NOT COST YOU ANYTHING 348
30 N’T BE DOING ANYTHING 347
1 N’T DO ANYTHING 41176
2 N’T HAVE ANYTHING 19274
3 N’T KNOW ANYTHING 16650
4 N’T FIND ANYTHING 14987
5 N’T SEE ANYTHING 14052
6 N’T SAY ANYTHING 13565
7 NOT DO ANYTHING 12639
8 NOT DOING ANYTHING 9058
9 NOT HAVE ANYTHING 5285
10 N’T MEAN ANYTHING 5256
PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE:
My first name does not mean anything.
Russian female, level 4 grammar class.
11 NOT FIND ANYTHING 4870
12 NOT SAY ANYTHING 4713
13 N’T WANT ANYTHING 4613
14 N’T DONE ANYTHING 4602
15 N’T CHANGE ANYTHING 4483
16 N’T GET ANYTHING 4398
17 N’T THINK ANYTHING 3974
18 NOT SEE ANYTHING 3386
19 N’T SEEN ANYTHING 3233
20 NOT KNOW ANYTHING 3120
21 N’T HEARD ANYTHING 3111
22 N’T NEED ANYTHING 2732
23 N’T DOING ANYTHING 2722
24 N’T HEAR ANYTHING 2691
25 N’T EXPECT ANYTHING 2432
26 N’T TAKE ANYTHING 2425
27 N’T FOUND ANYTHING 2308
28 N’T BE ANYTHING 2302
29 NOT SAYING ANYTHING 2239
30 N’T REMEMBER ANYTHING 2101
* * * _XX anything
1 THERE REALLY ISN’T ANYTHING 901
2 . THERE ISN’T ANYTHING 731
3 , THERE ISN’T ANYTHING 658
4 . THERE WASN’T ANYTHING 343
5 AND THERE ISN’T ANYTHING 303
6 . IT WASN’T ANYTHING 301
7 THERE ISN’T ANYTHING 276
8 , THERE WASN’T ANYTHING 268
9 THAT THERE ISN’T ANYTHING 267
10 . IT’S NOT ANYTHING 201
A2:
actually, afraid, care, cost, mean
B1:
connected, expect, look like, seem, think of, trade
B2:
aware, come up with, settle