determiners - "Any" or "some" in various questions?


I'm wondering why I always hear "some" in questions, although according to English grammar there should always be "any". At least the one I'm looking at uses "some". For example:



Why are some organizations using X?
Are there any organizations using X?



Is it due to the different nature of these questions? Open-ended vs. closed-ended?



Answer



It is true that in general in English, 'some' is replaced by 'any' in negative and interrogative contexts. But it is not as simple as that: 'Some' can be used in interrogative contexts, and is then 'marked' as linguists say: choosing it rather than the default conveys some meaning.


I would disagree with kajaco about just what nuance is conveyed: to me the choice of 'some' rather than 'any' is meant to exclude 'all'. So


Why are any organisations using X


may be appropriate even if all organisation are doing so (though the question is perhaps a little unlikely if everybody is doing so); whereas


Why are some organisations using X


implies "and others are not".


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