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Posted by rfvv on Friday, October 21, 2016 at 11:53pm.



1. Dogs can't see some colors.
2. Dogs can't see several colors.
3. Dogs can't see a few colors.
4. Dogs can't see any colors.
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Are they all grammatical? Can we use 'some,' 'several,' or 'a few,' together with 'not'? •English - Writeacher, Saturday, October 22, 2016 at 9:39am
I would use 1 and 4, depending on what's true.

For 2 and 3, your listener is probably waiting for you to name the colors dogs can see and those they can't see!
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Thank you for your help.
I found the following passage from a book.
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You do not use some as part of the object of a negative sentence. You do not say, for example, 'I don't have some money'. You say 'I don't have any money'. (from Collin Coubild English Usage)
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1. I don't have some money. (X)
2. I don't have any money. (O)
3. Dogs can't see some colors. (?)
4. Dogs can't see any colors. (O)
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According to the 'English Usage,' is #3 incorrect?

3 answers

As it is, #3 is incomplete, but not totally incorrect. It would be much better to be specific: Dogs can't see some colors, such as blue and green.
Thank you for your help.

What about the following?

5. Dogs can't see a few colors.
(a few instead of 'some')
You still need to name some of the colors dogs can't see. If you don't, it's a vague statement that means almost nothing.