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Anyone and Any One

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The indefinite pronoun anyone refers to people but not to particular individuals. Any one is an adjective phrase that refers to specific but unidentified things or individuals. (A similar distinction applies to anybody and any body, nobody and no body.)

Examples:

The enemy is anyone who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on. Any one of your buddies, if he's careless enough, could turn out to be your enemy.

Practice:

(a) Does ______ know who first said, "You can't trust anybody over 30"?

(b) If ______ of the 25 barons should die, the remaining barons shall choose a replacement.

Answers to Practice Exercises

Glossary of Usage: Index of Commonly Confused Words

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