兩者均表示否定,有時可互換:
There aren’t any buses after midnight. 午夜以后沒有公共汽車。
There are no buses after midnight. 午夜以后沒有公共汽車。
如果用no取代not…any, 則顯得略為正式一點,并表示更強烈的否定。在普通談話中,否定句用not…any, 但如果需要用一個否定詞來作句子的開頭,那么就必須用no,而不能用not…any。如:
非公莫入
正:No admittance except on business.
誤:Not any admittance except on business.
六十五歲以上的人無需購票。
正:No tickets are needed for people over 65.
誤:Not any tickets are needed for people over 65.
沒有人能做出這樣殘酷的事。
正:No human being would be capable of such cruelty.
誤:Not any human being would be capable of such cruelty.
未聽說有人受重傷。
正:No serious injuries were known to have occurred.
誤:Not any serious injuries were known to have occurred.