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.' 

AND instead of infinitive with Try, Wait, Go, Come...

1. In informal English, we often used 'try and' instead of 'try to'. 

Try and get some unsalted butter (Try to... is also possible). 

I really must try and see Paul this week (Or: ...try to...). 

This structure is possible with the simple form 'try', but not with tries, tried or trying. You cannot say 'I tried and got...' or 'He always tries and get...'

'Wait' and 'See' is similar. 

Let's wait and see (Not: 'We waited and saw' or 'Let's wait to see'). 

2. After 'come', 'go', 'run', 'hurry', 'stay', 'stop' and some other verbs, 'and' can be used instead of an infinitive of purpose. 

Come and have a drink. 

Hurry up and get dressed. 

Say and have dinner. 

We ought to stop and think. 

Would you go and tell the children to shut up? 

In these cases, however; third person forms and past tenses are possible. 

He usually stays and has dinner with us after the game. 

I went and had a drink with John yesterday. 

The 'to' infinitive is unusual in expressions like these and cannot be used after 'hurry up'. 

Informal American, 'and' is often left out after 'go'. 

Go jump in the river. 

Adjectives with And

When 2 or 3 adjectives come together, we sometimes put 'And' with them and sometimes not. It depends partly on their position in the sentence. 

When the adjectives come in 'predicative' position (after 'Be, Seem, and similar verbs'), we usually put 'And' before the last one. 

He was tall, dark and handsome. 

 You're like a winter's day: Short, dark and dirty. 

In a very literary style, 'And' is sometimes left out. 

My soul is exotic, mysterious, incomprehensible. 

        When the adjectives come in 'attributive' position (before a noun), 'And' is not so often used. 

                    A tall, dark, handsome cowboy 

                    A small, shiny, black leather handbag 

            However, 'And' is possible when the adjectives say the same kind of thing (e.g. when 2 adjectives both describe character, color or material): 

                    A cruel (and) vicious tyrant         A yellow and black sports car 

                    A tall (and) elegant lady             A concrete and glass factory