By Jacqueline Schaalje
Rob North

You can use anymore to talk about situations that were true in the past, but not now.

Here is an example:

When I was a child I collected cigar bands. Those are the gold-coloured rings around expensive cigars. My uncle used to smoke them, and one day I got his box of old cigar bands. Almost all of them were different and some were really beautiful and colourful, with the heads of kings and princes on them, celebrities, big fat dogs or royal arms and symbols. Every time my uncle or some of his guests smoked a cigar, I would ask for the band. When I got older, I gave the box away to a little boy who got very excited trying on the different bands in my collection.

To cut a long story short: I used to collect cigar bands. Now I don’t collect them anymore.

So anymore means not now, but in the past yes.

Anymore is usually used in negative sentences, but some Americans might use anymore in positive sentences as well. Here I’ll just give you examples of the standard use, which is in negative sentences.

You can use any longer instead of anymore. Note that any longer is always written in two words, whereas the most usual occurrence (= appearance) of anymore is as one word.

More examples:

The Goodmans don’t live here anymore. (They lived there in the past).

She doesn’t paint anymore, but she would like to start again. (She used to paint in the past.)

We wanted to buy some more of those cups, but the factory doesn’t make them anymore. (The factory made these cups in the past.)

Another Note: anymore is usually used with the present tense.

Don’t know how to use the verb “use to?” Have a look here.

Now have a go at the Quiz. You can do this online here.

Finish the sentence. Use “anymore” and write full sentences.

Example: John often used to watch “Lost.” But now he ____________________________.

Answer: doesn’t watch it anymore.

1 Amar used to play tennis, but now he ________________________.

2 This is the house where Janet used to live, but she ____________________________.

3 – Do you still work at Inkland Design? – No, I _____________________.

4 – Do you remember my last name? – No, sorry, I ______________________________.

5 I used to be able to solve this puzzle, but now I can’t _______________________.

6 We used to listen to The Dark Side of the Moon all the time. But now we hardly ____________________________.

7 My brother and I loved it when our mother made fried potatoes. But she never _______________________.

8 Ms Bunker used to go to lectures about psychology, but now she ________________.

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