# Something vs some thing



## cinderblock (Jun 27, 2015)

Here's the example. *

“You must mean something to someone.”*

*Or some thing, he thought.

*Basically, he concludes he must mean something to someone, or some thing. 

I thought this was correct, because the second sentence refers to a physical object, but an AQ reading over my manuscript told me I should be consistent. Either stick to "something" or "some thing."


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## Gamer_2k4 (Jun 27, 2015)

I think what you have works for what you're going for.  After all, in "you must mean something," _something_ is a reference to a concept you haven't get defined.  "Some thing" in the next line refers to a discrete entity.  I wouldn't change it, unless of course you can find a way to word the first sentence so it doesn't use the word "something."

Also remember that consistency is not always king.  If you had the sentence "Some things were bigger than others," you absolutely would not write "Somethings were bigger than others."  For words like "regardless" vs "irregardless" or "toward" vs "towards," where the meaning truly is identical, be consistent.  Where different presentations indicate different meanings, as in your above example, use the one that's right.


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## Sam (Jun 27, 2015)

"I swear, man, some _thing _is prowling around those corridors -- and I ain't going out there to find out what!" In reference to some creature or monster or unknown thing.  

"Something is wrong outside. Jack went to investigate and hasn't come back." In reference to an unspecified or unknown situation having occurred. 

'Some thing' is always a physical entity, i.e corporeal or non-corporeal. 

'Something' is always an abstract situation or idea. "Something tells me we're in the wrong place." Obviously, some corporeal creature didn't pop up beside you and tell you that you were in the wrong place, so 'some thing' in that sentence would be incorrect.


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