Any: Special Uses

1. 'Any' can mean 'it doesn't matter which'. 

Come and see me any time. 

Take any card. 

Think of a number - any number you like. 

2. 'Any...but' means 'any...except'. 

I'll go to any restaurant but that one. 

3. In relative sentences, 'any' is usually followed by 'that', not 'which' or 'who'. 

Borrow any book that interests you. 

4. In questions and negative sentences (and with 'if'), 'any' can be used as an adverb with comparatives, and with 'different'. 

Is she any better? 

I can't go any further. 

If I were any younger, I'd fall in love with you. 

I don't think you look any different from how you did last year. 

'No' can also be used like this, but not 'some'. 

Note also the expressions 'any/no good', and 'any/no use'. 

'Was the film any good?' - 'No good at all.'

'Is it any use talking to him?' - 'It's no use at all.' 

Along

Typical mistakes: 

All along the journey she kept complaining. 

Along the story, we learn how...

'Along' is used with nouns like road, river, corridor, line: words that refer to things with a long, thin shape. 

I saw her running along the road. 

His office is along the corridor. 

With more abstract words (or nouns that refer to time or activities), we use 'through'. 

Right through the meal...

Through the story, we learn how...

All through the journey... 

With words that refer to time, the structure 'all...long' is used. 

I'd like to live somewhere where the sun shines all year long. 

I could sit and look at you all day long. 

Also notice the special use of 'along' as an adverb in expression like 'Come along' (= Come with me) or 'walking along (= walking on one's way). 

All: Details

The exact rules for the use of 'All' are quite complicated: 

1. All (of) before nouns and pronouns 

In general, 'all' and 'all of' are both possible before a noun, and before 'this' and 'that'. However, if the noun is used alone (without an article, possessive, or other 'determiner'), 'all of' is not usually possible. Compare the following: 

All (of) my friends like riding. 

I've read all (of) the books you lent me. 

I stopped believing in all (of) that years ago. 

All children can be naughty sometimes (Not: All of children...). 

All whisky is expensive (Not: All of whisky...). 

On the other hand, before a personal pronoun only 'all of' is possible; it is used with object pronouns (us, you, them). 

All of them enjoyed the party (Not: All them... or All they...). 

All of you are wrong (Not: All you...). 

They invited all of us (Not: ...all us). 

2. 'All' after nouns and pronouns 

'All' can go after the subject of the sentence. Note that it does not always immediately follow the subject in this case. The exact position is the same as the position of mid-position adverbs: that is to say, (i) before a simple one-word verb; (ii) if there are auxiliary verbs, after the first auxiliary; (iii) after the verb 'be'. 

My friends all like riding. 

They would all have been invited if there had been room (Not: They all would have been invited...). 

We are all tired (Not: We all are tired). 

'All' can also go after a direct or indirect object, but only if this is a personal pronoun (us, you, etc). 

I've eaten them all (Not: I've eaten the cakes all). 

Love you all (Not: Love to the family all). 

I sent them all presents. 

Note that 'all' cannot be used after a subject complement: you can say I've finished it all but not 'This is it all'. 

3. 'All' as subject, object or complement 

'All' can be used as the subject, object or complement of a sentence. In modern English, this is only common when 'all' is followed by a relative clause. Note the two possible meanings of 'all' in this case: 'everything' and 'the only thing(s)'. 

All that I own is yours.     All I want is a room somewhere. 

I'll give you all you want.     This all I've got. 

'All' is not often used to mean 'everybody', except in a very formal style. Instead of 'All who want tickets should go to the office', we would probably say 'All those who want tickets...' or 'All the people who want tickets...' 

In older English, 'all' could be used alone, without a relative clause, to mean 'everything' or 'everybody' (e.g. Tell me all. All is lost. All are dead). This is unusual in modern English, except in dramatic contexts like newspaper headlines (e.g. SPY TELLS ALL), and in the expression 'all about' (e.g. I know all about you. Let's forget all about it). 

4. It is not very common to use 'all' as the subject of a negative verb (e.g. All English people don't like fish and chips). Instead of this, we more often use 'not all' as the subject. 

Not all birds can fly. 

No birds can play chess. 

5. It is sometimes possible to leave out an article after 'all' (e.g. all day, all three brothers). 

Ago

Typical mistakes: 

I met her ago three years. 

I have left school three years ago. 

I have started working for this firm before three years. 

My father died for three years. 

1. 'Ago' is placed after an expression of time, nor before it. 

I met her three years ago. 

a long time ago. 

2. 'Ago' is used with a past tense, not the present perfect. 

I left school three years ago. 

3. Do not confuse the adverbs 'ago' and 'before', 'Ago' is used when the 'point of reference' is the present: it means 'before now'. 'Before' is used when the point of reference is not the present: it means 'before then', 'earlier'. Compare the following: 

I started working for this firm three years ago. 

Last summer, I finally left the firm that I had joined eighteen years ago before. 

4. 'Ago' and 'for' are not the same. 'Ago' tells you how long before the present something happened; 'for' tells you how long an action or situation lasted. Compare the following: 

My father died three years ago (= three years before now). 

He was ill for three years before he died (his illness lasted three years). 

Adjectives and Adverbs: Position in Expressions of Measurement

Typical mistake: Everest is high 9,000 meters. 

In expressions of measurement, the adjective or adverb comes after the measurement-noun. 

Examples: 

Six feet high    Ten feet down    ten years old    Two miles long    Six feet deep

Notice the difference between ten feet square (= 10 ft x 10 ft) and ten square feet (= 2 ft x 5 ft, or 10 ft x 1 ft). 

When expressions like these are used as attributive adjectives (before the noun), the measurement noun is normally singular: Compare the following: a bole six feet deep     Vs     a six-foot-deep bole