# Vas a hacer algo?



## HyphenSpider

Una duda... *Vas a hacer algo?* se traduciría como _*Are you going to do *_*anything?*, no?

Gracias!


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## Txiri

do *something*, rolls off the tongue sooner

 "anything" would be used after a negated verb, right?


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## samarita

are you gonna do something?


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## zelan

I was taught that "anything" is used both in interrogative and negative clauses.


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## HyphenSpider

Mmhh... OK,,, Pero la mayoría de veces se usa *anything *cuando es pregunta no?

Aunque ya me acuerdo de que en algunos casos no era así...


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## Txiri

Well, you asked a question straight out, and I answered it with the first thing that came to mind.  

I have something.

I don´t have anything.

Do you have anything?  (doesn´t sound as normal to me as,
Do you have something?

Your mention of a grammar rule rings a bell, but I haven´t taught English for a number of years now, and it´s always possible that AmE is evolving in a different direction from BrE


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## zelan

maybe is the use of any or some, but here something replaces a noun, I mean:algo, instead of alguno/a, then this could be the explanation- una explicación un poco "patatera".


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## Txiri

Hmmm, Zelan, me cuesta un poco entenderte ... 

Lo de "some, any, none" deberían de funcionar igual en ( ... ?  qué arriesgado es este tipo de frase!) todas las situaciones.  

Que yo sepa, tanto en ingés como español, caben bajo una temática que se llama "indefinite and negative words", 

¿Por qué no pones frases, de tus ejemplos sacaré a lo mejor, mejor idea de lo que quieres decir?


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## zelan

En español no existen esas palabras, en realidad:
¿Hay leche en la cocina?
Is there any milk in the kitchen?
Pero si dices:
is there anything there?  = ¿hay algo ahí?
Algo sustituye a "cualquier cosa" . Es un sustantivo.

Are you going to do some sports?
¿Vas a hacer deporte?
¿ vas a hacer algún deporte? es lo más parecido a una traducción literal del some.Me estoy liando, no se cómo explicarlo.De hecho ahora mismo es todo una duda para mí .Sorry.
Quiero decir en español no es necesario poner algún, alguna, some, any delante de nombres incontables. Pero no tendría sentido decir: ¿vas a hacer nada?


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## Txiri

Okay, te entiendo a la perfección ... gracias. 

Entonces, para responder a tu pregunta, creo que mi respuesta es esta, que aunque las reglas respecto a some, any, none, son lo que son, reglas, en mi *idiolecto* personal, tengo mayor tendencia a usar (en determinados contextos, eh?) el adjetivo "some" en lugar de "any" en las preguntas.  No es que no use "any" en las preguntas, nunca, sino que el ejemplo dado me elicitó el "some", y al pensarlo, habría otros casos muchos cuando preferiría "any", pero sigo usando "some" en algunos contextos-- en preguntas. Mejor no descartar la regla!  

Ya veremos qué opiniones tienen otros.


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## scotu

It seems the sentence here requires a pronoun; my dictionary gice the following definitions for the two pronouns:

something (_pron.)_ An unspecified or undetermined amount or extent:
anything (_pron.)_ Any object, occurrence, or matter whatever.

Using these definitions it would appear that "something" would be correct.
However I think that few would ever notice a difference in spoken language.


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## Txiri

scotu said:
			
		

> It seems the sentence here requires a pronoun; my dictionary gice the following definitions for the two pronouns:
> 
> something (_pron.)_ An unspecified or undetermined amount or extent:
> anything (_pron.)_ Any object, occurrence, or matter whatever.
> 
> Using these definitions it would appear that "something" would be correct.
> However I think that few would ever notice a difference in spoken language.


 
Just out of curiosity, Scotu, reading the initial query ... what rolls off your tongue first-- something or anything?

(which by the way, is almost the title of a great album by Todd Rundgren ...)


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## scotu

Txiri said:
			
		

> Just out of curiosity, Scotu, reading the initial query ... what rolls off your tongue first-- something or anything?
> 
> (which by the way, is almost the title of a great album by Todd Rundgren ...)


 
It would depend on the context:

_If my mother sees me laying on the hammock drinking a beer and thinks I'm becoming a lazy bum, she might say "Are you going to do anything?" (are you going to do any of the entire realm of "things"? EDIT : to which I of course would reply "I am doing something, I'm drinking a beer")_

_If an unmarried friend tells me she is pregnant, I might ask "Are you going to do something?" (Which of the implied "things" are you going to do?)_


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## Txiri

Interestingly, you hit on the head of what went through MY head, when I contemplated the subtle differences, of anything v. something, in the question given, and the Spanish speakers´ response.  It was difficult, gave hesitation, to try to put it into words.  You did a good job of it.


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## scotu

Txiri said:
			
		

> Interestingly, you hit on the head of what went through MY head, when I contemplated the subtle differences, of anything v. something, in the question given, and the Spanish speakers´ response. It was difficult, gave hesitation, to try to put it into words. You did a good job of it.


 
Thank you, Txiri


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## jivemu

Muy bueno lo de "mi *idiolecto* personal". No lo había oído nunca  Me lo apunto.


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## Txiri

scotu said:
			
		

> Thank you, Txiri


 
You´re welcome.  You´re a good guy.


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## Txiri

jivemu said:
			
		

> Muy bueno lo de "mi *idiolecto* personal". No lo había oído nunca  Me lo apunto.


 
Well, don´t apuntar it all just like that, an idiolecto already is something personal, so I misspoke when I put the two words together.  It´s idiolecto.    Like, idiosincracia.


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## HyphenSpider

Pues yo cada vez lo entiendo menos...   Yo aprendí que, en preguntas y frases negativas, siempre se utilizaba *any*, excepto en ofrecimientos y en aquellas preguntas con respuesta obvia. Por ejemplo:

*Do you want some milk in your tea? - *Y no *do you want any milk in your tea?*


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## HyphenSpider

> Well, don´t apuntar it all just like that, an idiolecto already is something personal, so I misspoke when I put the two words together. It´s idiolecto. Like, idiosincra*s*ia.


 ;-)

Saludos!


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## jivemu

Creo que la razón por la que es adecuado usar something es porque en esta frase "do something" es como un todo.
Are you going to...
...play football?
...cook dinner?
...do something?

Ahora piensa en esta frase: "¿vas a hacer algo el lunes por la noche?". Ya estamos especificando una fecha concreta, con lo que usamos present continuous:
Are you doing anything on Monday evening?

No sé si te estoy clarificando las ideas o te estoy liando más


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## Txiri

Ugh!  thanks!  (I pride myself on my spelling-- you have shamed me!)


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## HyphenSpider

> Ugh! thanks! (I pride myself on my spelling-- you have shamed me!)


 
 hehehe


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## HyphenSpider

> Creo que la razón por la que es adecuado usar something es porque en esta frase "do something" es como un todo.
> Are you going to...
> ...play football?
> ...cook dinner?
> ...do something?
> 
> Ahora piensa en esta frase: "¿vas a hacer algo el lunes por la noche?". Ya estamos especificando una fecha concreta, con lo que usamos present continuous:
> Are you doing anything on Monday evening?
> 
> No sé si te estoy clarificando las ideas o te estoy liando más


 
Pero para preguntar qué vas a hacer el lunes por la noche no se puede usar también *be going to*? 

 De todas formas tampoco lo entiendo... Me parece el mismo ejemplo *vas a hacer algo? *que *vas a hacer algo el lunes por la noche*?


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## scotu

HyphenSpider said:
			
		

> Pues yo cada vez lo entiendo menos...  Yo aprendí que, en preguntas y frases negativas, siempre se utilizaba *any*, excepto en ofrecimientos y en aquellas preguntas con respuesta obvia. Por ejemplo:
> 
> *Do you want some milk in your tea? - *Y no *Do you want any milk in your tea??*


 
*Do you want some milk in your tea? *This is correct because "some" means an unspecified quanity of milk>

*Do you want any milk in your tea?* This is also correct because in this case "any " is a synonym for "some"
Definition of "any" from _Dictionary.com_ :

"any: (adj.)One, *some,* every, or all without specification: Take any book you want. Are there any messages for me? Any child would love that. Give me any food you don't want. 
Exceeding normal limits, as in size or duration: The patient cannot endure chemotherapy for any length of time." 

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=any


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## jivemu

HyphenSpider said:
			
		

> Pero para preguntar qué vas a hacer el lunes por la noche no se puede usar también *be going to*?
> 
> De todas formas tampoco lo entiendo... Me parece el mismo ejemplo *vas a hacer algo? *que *vas a hacer algo el lunes por la noche*?


 
Cuando se especifica una fecha concreta para realizar algo planificado, en lugar de usar "to be going to + infinitivo" se usa "to be + gerundio". "to be going to + infinitivo" también se puede usar así, pero no al revés. Por eso es probable que todavía no te lo hayan enseñado.

En cualquier caso, lo que yo quería dejar claro es que, sintácticamente, "to do something" forma un grupo y, por eso, aunque se trate de una oración interrogativa, no cambia a "to do anything".


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## HyphenSpider

> Cuando se especifica una fecha concreta para realizar algo planificado, en lugar de usar "to be going to + infinitivo" se usa "to be + gerundio". "to be going to + infinitivo" también se puede usar así, pero no al revés. Por eso es probable que todavía no te lo hayan enseñado.


 
Yo tenía entendido que el *present continuous for future* sólo se utilizaba para planes seguros, en los que ya sabías el momento concreto en el que ibas a hacer algo (y en otros casos intercambiables por "*be going to*"). Por ejemplo, a mí me parece lo mismo decir:

*I'm going to have a birthday party on Monday afternoon *y *I'm having a birthday party on Monday afternoon*.

No??


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## jivemu

Así es. Ahora imagina que se lo preguntas a alguien, y que en lugar de "a birthday party" dices "something".
Las frases quedarían como:
Are you going to have something on Monday afternoon?
Are you having anything on Monday afternoon?

"To have something" actúa como si fuera una sola palabra, y de alguna manera "complementa" a "going". Por eso no cambia. No lo sé explicar mejor, lo siento.


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## juramaca

ok lets say that I would ask some one: do you want some milk with your tea? when and if I have absolutely no clue what the answer is going to be.
and I would ask someone: do you want any milk with your tea? when and if I know the answer is no, but I am puzzled by someone not drinking their tea the way I do.
You still be posing the questions in accord to the rule.


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## zelan

Yes, I was thinking about that, in the example given by scotu, it's  clear, "something" has a positve meaning that "anything" doesn't have.You expect something to be done or you expect nothing at all ( the case with the beer- hamaca)


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## zelan

In fact, the pronoun has a close sense to the spanish words :algo- nada:
¿no vas a hacer nada? We also put the word nada, to stress the negative or the positive reaction:
¿vas a hacer algo? you'll better do something about that
¿ no vas a hacer nada? you are not doing anything (and probably you will not do anything after my words).¿? could be?
please correct my english.


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## scotu

zelan said:
			
		

> In fact, the pronoun has a close sense to the spanish words :algo- nada:
> ¿no vas a hacer nada? We also put the word nada, to stress the negative or the positive reaction:
> ¿vas a hacer algo? you'll better do something about that
> ¿ no vas a hacer nada? *you are not doing anything* (and probably you will not do anything after my words).¿? could be?
> please correct my english.


Back to my mother seeing me in the hammock, drinking a beer; she could say:

*"Are you going to do anything..*(with the rest of your life or are you just going to be a lazy bum)?
"I hope *you are going to do something* (like mow the lawn) or you don't get any (not some) dinner.
*"you are not doing anything...*why don't you mow the lawn"*?* 

The following are identical, although the last is rare:
" your friend is in trouble are you going to do *anything* (about it)"
" your friend is in troubleare you going to do *something* (about it)"
" your friend is in trouble* are you* *not* going to do *something* (about it)"

The questions are all equal but the answer is different if it's possitive or negative:
Of course I'm going *to do something* about it! (I am going to do *one *of the entire world of possible things)
No, I am *not going to do anything* about it. (of the *million possible things* I could do, I will not do *any* of them)

I'm not sure about this but the difference I am seeing here is that "some" has a limited quantity to it, whereas "any" has an unlimited quantity to it.
Do you have *some* apples? (I only want three) = Do you have *any* apples? (I don't care if you have six apples or a million apples) 
No I do *not *have *any* apples. (the amount of apples I don't have is infinite)
You can not say "I don't have some apples"


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## zelan

Thanks scotu, I understand it better now,  I think Jivemu has a clue,too,  with "do something". I don't know why my post is here, I thought I wrote it after your hammock one, ups!


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## HyphenSpider

> Back to my mother seeing me in the hammock, drinking a beer; she could say:
> 
> *"Are you going to do anything..*(with the rest of your life or are you just going to be a lazy bum)?
> "I hope *you are going to do something* (like mow the lawn) or you don't get any (not some) dinner.
> *"you are not doing anything...*why don't you mow the lawn"*?*
> 
> The following are identical, although the last is rare:
> " your friend is in trouble are you going to do *anything* (about it)"
> " your friend is in troubleare you going to do *something* (about it)"
> " your friend is in trouble* are you* *not* going to do *something* (about it)"
> 
> The questions are all equal but the answer is different if it's possitive or negative:
> Of course I'm going *to do something* about it! (I am going to do *one *of the entire world of possible things)
> No, I am *not going to do anything* about it. (of the *million possible things* I could do, I will not do *any* of them)
> 
> I'm not sure about this but the difference I am seeing here is that "some" has a limited quantity to it, whereas "any" has an unlimited quantity to it.
> Do you have *some* apples? (I only want three) = Do you have *any* apples? (I don't care if you have six apples or a million apples)
> No I do *not *have *any* apples. (the amount of apples I don't have is infinite)
> You can not say "I don't have some apples"


 
Pero todas tus frases siguen las reglas "normales", no? 



> *Are you going to do anything..*(with the rest of your life or are you just going to be a lazy bum)?


 
*Anything *porque es pregunta.



> "I hope *you are going to do something* (like mow the lawn) or you don't get any (not some) dinner.


 
*Something *porque es una frase "afirmativa".



> *"you are not doing anything...*why don't you mow the lawn"*?*


 
*Anything *porque es una frase negativa.



> Of course I'm going *to do something* about it!


 
*Something *porque es "afirmativa".



> No, I am *not going to do anything* about it. (of the *million possible things* I could do, I will not do *any* of them)


 
*Anything *porque es negativa.

  Las frases de estos ejemplos siguen la norma de usar *any *en preguntas y frases negativas y *some *en frases afirmativas, no?


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## zelan

Sí, en esas se usa la regla general.


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## HyphenSpider

I asked my teacher about my sentence *vas a hacer algo?*. She said she'd translate it as "*are you going to do anything?*"


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