What’s the usual response to “Any questions?” at the end of a PowerPoint presentation? Awkward silence? Guardian journalist Rosie Ifould explains why:
“It’s too open-ended; too many possibilities abound. ‘‘What do you think about X?’ might be a more specific way of encouraging someone to talk.”
Conversation analysts at UCLA also looked at how doctors use “any” versus “some” as they were finishing their patient consultations. They found that patients responded with more information to the question,
“Is there something else I can do for you today?” than if they were asked, “Is there anything else?”
There is no limit to the number of any. It’s easier to connect with and respond to a request for one something than a more abstract anything.
"How many of these top 10 pieces of ‘word trash’ are you guilty of using?" Fast Company. November 4, 2020
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