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Is my usage of "any different" correct in this context?

English Language & Usage Asked by Aljon on August 25, 2021

I’m reading a Webnovel and in this particular chapter, there is this guy who is on a high position and everyone around him(not including those who have a higher authority and status) is bending over to his authority and status.

And someone commented about if it ever crossed these kind of people’s minds about everyone not existing simply to bend over for them or if their ego is big enough to bend reality itself.

So I replied to that, pointing out that everyone the guy has met who have a lower authority and status than him have been bending over to his whims and demands thus far therefore he isn’t in the wrong to think that a newcomer won’t do the same.

Here is what I wrote:

  • People of lower status than him have been bending over to his whims thus far so logically speaking he isn’t in the wrong to think that ZY will be any different.

Note: ZY is an acronym for the newcomer’s full name.

The first time I wrote my comment, I thought nothing of it but I have a habit of re-reading whatever I write online because English is my 3rd language and I guess I got tired of having to get whatever I say/write discredited simply because my English skill isn’t up to par.

Anyways is what I wrote correct in this context? given what I wanted to convey.

2 Answers

I think you should clarify things using behave instead of be: "(...) he isn't in the wrong to think that ZY will behave any different."

Answered by Geovani Manhaes on August 25, 2021

In a comment John Lawler wrote:

Be any different is a predicate containing a negative polarity term (any) as a quantifier (cf be very/a little/a lot/greatly/a bit different. The NPI is licensed by the negative in the higher clause: he isn't in the wrong to think that ZY will be any different. The fact that wrong is also negative and contradicts isn't is confusing, but once a clause has a negative field, it can license NPIs, whether they make sense or not. Negation is used for emphasis more often than not.

Answered by tchrist on August 25, 2021

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