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Anymore or Any More: Which One Is Correct?
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When our favorite football team is losing often, do we write that we can't handle any more losses by them—or that we can't handle anymore losses by them?
We might get confused about whether to use one word or two when we're expressing such an idea in American English. The two treatments (any more and anymore) are pronounced the same way, and either one may seem correct in context if we look at it long enough. Today's discussion will help to clarify usage.
The Difference Between Any More and Anymore
We'll begin by establishing that both anymore and any more can be correct. Although they are alike and will typically be spoken in the same way, they have slightly different meanings.
The two-word version, any more, is a noun phrase that refers to a countable quantity. Here are a few examples:
Sometimes it feels like I can't take any more of this snow.
Are there any more cookies left in the break room?
I wanted to buy tickets for Saturday's game, but there weren't any more available. |
As you can see, any more refers to an amount of something (snow, cookies, tickets).
The single-word version, anymore, is an adverb relating to time. When we say or write anymore, we mean "still," "at the current time," or "any longer." You probably hear these types of usages often, as in the following examples:
My neighbor's dog doesn't bark at night anymore.
I'm cutting back on sugar and dairy, so I rarely drink milkshakes anymore. |
Again, the single-word variation anymore is a way of saying "at this time."
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Pop Quiz
Choose the correct expression for each sentence below.
1. Could you see if there are [any more / anymore] jeans in my size?
2. Jim asked for a raise, but his boss said there wasn't [any more / anymore] money in the department's budget.
3. I wonder why the bus doesn't stop at Second Street [any more / anymore].
4. Sheila couldn't find [any more / anymore] pens in her desk drawer.
5. It's a shame no one reads classic novels [any more / anymore].
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Wordplay
Q: What's the difference between a poorly dressed man on a unicycle and a well-dressed man on a bicycle?
A: Attire.
Q: What did the buffalo dad say to his son as he left?
A: Bison.
Pop Quiz Answers
1. Could you see if there are any more jeans in my size?
2. Jim asked for a raise, but his boss said there wasn't any more money in the department's budget.
3. I wonder why the bus doesn't stop at Second Street anymore.
4. Sheila couldn't find any more pens in her desk drawer.
5. It's a shame no one reads classic novels anymore.
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