any with there is/are

[galit]

hi all

I would like an explanation about the word "any":

when I describe something using "there is/are", is it correct to say..
There isn't any book on the table.
or should I say... There isn't a book on the table.

another question is..when I ask about count noun do I also use "any"
Are there any books
Is there any book...
or is it possible to ask "Are there books....
"Is there a book...

Does it change when asked about non count nouns?

[Pete]

when I describe something using "there is/are", is it correct to say..
There isn't any book on the table.
or should I say... There isn't a book on the table.Both are correct. I'd say that "a" is probably more common. Using "any" puts extra stress on the absence; you might use it if you had been expecting a book to be there.

another question is..when I ask about count noun do I also use "any"
Are there any books
Is there any book...
or is it possible to ask "Are there books....
"Is there a book...All of these sound good to me. "Any" works with both singular and plural nouns.

Does it change when asked about non count nouns?Not really. Of course you can't use "a" with non-count nouns.
"Any" often works with questions and negatives where it does not work with simple affirmative statements.
- Is there water in the glass? --OK.
- There is no water in the glass. --OK.
- There is water in the glass. --OK.

- Is there any water in the glass? --OK.
- There's not any water in the glass. --OK.
* There is any water in the glass. --NO.