all vs. anything vs. everything

[Molly]

Hello All.

Why cannot we not, specifically, use the third example?

I know everything about cars.
I know all about cars.
I know anything about cars.

Thanks

[Juliana Melo]

Hi Molly,

"anything" usually occurs in negative sentences, questions or as an indefinite pronoun.
e.g: Do you know anything about cars?
I don't know anything about cars.
That's what I think

[Molly]

[Lost_Soul]

Perhaps noone will give you a satisfying reason why. Learning language is more about abiding by rules than logic.
Just change something in your native language so it will sound weird, and try to explain why you can't say that. In most cases you will run up against a brick wall

[Alan]

Hi Molly,

On its own in your sentence 'anything' simply has no meaning because you don't what the speaker/writer does know.

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story In touch

[Molly]

[Molly]