any +singular or plural

Hi, Apple,

@apple posted:

1.Any doctor will say that smoking is not good for the health.

In  sentence 1  above, "doctor" should be singular.

2. Grammar Exchange can answer any English question.

In sentence 2, can you say "any English questions"?

In sentence (2) (I'd say "any question about English" rather than "any English question"), the singular sounds better, being equivalent to:

- There is no single question that the Grammar Exchange cannot answer.

We use the plural with "any" when the sense of plurality needs to be conveyed, for example:

- The Grammar Exchange can answer any questions that its members may ask. (Members are supposed to ask different questions.)

Thank you, Gustavo.

Some more follow-up questions.

Can we use the plural in the following sentences?

1. Customers can buy this product at shops at the airport.

2. You can ask any doctors about your health problems.

I want "any" to mean "no matter which".

Apple

Hi, Apple,

@apple posted:

Can we use the plural in the following sentences?

1. Customers can buy this product at shops at the airport.

2. You can ask any doctors about your health problems.

I want "any" to mean "no matter which".

Sentence (1) does not contain "any." I would use the singular with "any":

1a. Customers can buy this product at any shop at the airport.

And I'd also use the singular in sentence (2):

2a. You can ask any doctor about your health problems.

The use of "any" with a plural noun in the affirmative is not so usual because, as I said in my first reply, there must be some need to express plurality for the plural noun to be justified, and in the sentences above each customer will go to one shop, no matter which shop, to buy the product, and each patient will resort to one doctor, no matter which doctor, to consult about their health problems.