Today, we answer a question from Adriana in Uruguay.
今天，我們回答來自烏拉圭的阿德裡亞娜的問題。
"Hi, I would like to know tips on how to choose affirmative or negative sentences while using nothing, no one or nobody, or anything, anyone or anybody.
「嗨，我想知道nothing、no one、nobody、anything、anyone或anybody，哪些在肯定句中使用，哪些在否定句中使用。」
I sometimes make mistakes with this issue.
我有時會在這個問題上犯錯誤。
And thus, the sentence can be confusing for the listener.
因此，這個句子可能會讓聽者感到困惑。
Would you mind clarifying it? Thank you." —— Adriana, Uruguay.
你可以幫忙解釋一下嗎？謝謝你。」——阿德裡亞娜，烏拉圭。
Dear Adriana, Thank you for writing to us.
親愛的阿德裡亞娜，謝謝你給我們寫信。
There is a general Standard English grammar rule in that you can only have one negative in a sentence.
有一個標準的英語語法規則，在一個句子中只能有一個否定句。
However, local speech around the country does not always observe that rule.
然而，全國各地的口語並不總是遵守這一規則。
With that in mind, we see that "anything" is a word English speakers use to express "a thing of any kind" in a question or a negative statement.
考慮到這一點，我們就會明白，說英語的人在疑問句或否定句中用「anything」來表達「任何一種東西」。
Here are examples of both:
下面是兩種情況的例子：
Do they have anything to eat?
他們有什麼吃的嗎？
They do not have anything to eat.
他們沒有東西吃。
Remember, the negative statement can only have one negative, and, here, it is the word "not."
記住，否定句只能有一個否定詞，在這裡，就是「not」這個詞。
This works the same way with the other words you asked about, "anyone" and "anybody."
你問的其他單詞「anyone」和「anybody」也是一樣的。
For example,
例如,
Has anyone come to pick up the mail today?
今天有人來取郵件嗎？
I have not seen anyone this morning.
今天早上我沒見過任何人。
The negative answer uses "not" and "anyone."
否定回答用「not」和「anyone」。
You can also add "never" to make a negative statement, as in:
你還可以加上「never」來表達否定的意思，例如:
They never found anybody to do that job.
他們從未找到做那項工作的人。
Now, let us look at the negative forms, "nothing," "nobody" and "no one."
現在，讓我們來看看否定詞，nothing, nobody和no one。
We use these to talk about an absence or lack of a thing or a person.
我們用這些詞來表示某人或某物的缺席。
The verb form that appears with these words is always singular because you cannot have more than one of nothing!
與之搭配的動詞總是使用單數形式，因為你不可能從nothing裡找出大於1的東西來。
Starting with "nothing," you can apply our rule again to create a statement with only one negative.
從「nothing」開始，您可以再次應用我們的規則來創建一個只有一個否定的語句。
Here is how we can use anything and nothing together.
以下是我們如何將anything和nothing一起使用的方法。
Is anything happening at your school today?
今天你們學校有什麼事嗎？
There is nothing happening at school. Today is a holiday.
學校裡什麼也沒發生。今天是假日。
We can use "nobody" in the same way: in answer to a question that uses "anybody."
同樣地，我們也可以用「nobody」來回答一個用「anyone」的問題。
Did anybody help you write the letter?
有人幫你寫這封信嗎？
Nobody helped me. I did it all by myself.
沒人幫我。我自己寫的。
Here are two simple rules:
這裡有兩個簡單的規則:
1. Use "anything" and other words with "any" in questions and statements that include "not" or "no."
1. 在包括「not」或「no」的疑問句或陳述句中，使用「anything」或其他與「any」連用的詞。
2. Use "nothing" and the like in statements where there is no other negative word.
2. 在沒有其他否定詞的陳述句中使用「nothing」或類似的詞。
I hope that helps to answer your question, Adriana.
我希望這有助於回答你的問題，阿德裡亞娜。
And that's Ask a Teacher.
以上就是本期的《名師答疑》。
What question do you have about American English?
你對美式英語有什麼疑問?
Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com.
發郵件到learningenglish@voanews.com。
I'm Jill Robbins.
吉爾·羅賓斯為您播報。