anyone/someone

[a***@gmail.com]

Can one use:
1) Can someone see the documents?
instead of:
2) Can anyone see the documents?


Can one use:
3) Is there someone who can see the documents?
instead of:
4) Is there anyone who can see the documents?


There is a difference in connotation probably, but isn't the denotation the
same?

I don't know why I wouldn't use '1' instead of '2', but I don't think I have
a problem with using '3' instead of '4'.


Gratefully,
Navi

[Snidely]

Post by a***@gmail.com
1) Can someone see the documents?
2) Can anyone see the documents?

No.

Post by a***@gmail.com
3) Is there someone who can see the documents?
4) Is there anyone who can see the documents?

Sometimes.

Post by a***@gmail.com
There is a difference in connotation probably, but isn't the denotation the
same?
I don't know why I wouldn't use '1' instead of '2', but I don't think I have
a problem with using '3' instead of '4'.

In 1, "someone" will be resolved to a very specific individual. In 2,
"anyone" will resolve to a /class/ of individuals. 3 is not quite as
specific as 1, so it can sometimes be interchanged with 4, but most
commonly 3 would again expect a specific person or a small set of
specific persons to be named in the reply.

/dps

[h***@gmail.com]

Post by a***@gmail.com
1) Can someone see the documents?
2) Can anyone see the documents?

No.

Yes you can, but only if it has been honed into a suitable context.
Navi's sentences follow this sort of pattern:

"If you ever hunger, hunger for me".

That is a lovely line until you read it back to yourself, and see that
it is merely the trite: "If you ever long, long for me".

Say you worked for a large organisation in a high-rise building. In one
small office are five people, all highly qualified, any one of whom is
capable of...erm overlooking...your documents.

1) Can someone see the documents?
2) Can anyone see the documents?

...with the right tone of voice, over the phone, to someone in that
office, are interchangeable aren't they?