ANY: Do you have some pencils? vs. Do you have any pencil(s)?

[planetypus]

Which is correct?

Do you have some pencils?
Do you have any pencils?
Do you have any pencil?

Thanks...
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"If you can't be a pine on top of a hill, be a shrub in the valley."

[Yankee]

Hi planetypus

1. Do you have some pencils?
2. Do you have any pencils?
3. Do you have any pencil?

The second sentence is standard and also the most typical. It's a straighforward, neutral question.

The first sentence might be used if, for example, the person asking the question is expecting the response to be 'yes' (and also expecting there to be more than one pencil).

The third sentence might be used in the same sense as "Do you have any pencil whatsoever?" / "Do you have any pencil at all -- no matter what kind?" / "Don't you have even one single pencil?"

Amy
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[planetypus]

Amy,

Thanks a lot for giving the distinction.
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"If you can't be a pine on top of a hill, be a shrub in the valley."

[prezbucky]

If you're asking the question with the aim of borrowing a pencil, you might say this:

"Do you have a pencil?" or "Do you have a pencil I could borrow?"
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Billie Jean is not my lover. Hee.