anymore

"Anymore" feels like a little time traveler! It is used to show that something used to happen but has stopped—meaning it doesn't happen now. Think of it as marking a change or the end of a habit. If your little brother used to steal cookies from the jar but has quit, you might say, "He doesn't steal cookies anymore." It is most often found at the end of negative sentences, like "I don't live there anymore," or in questions asking whether something still happens.

"Anymore" is a tricky little word because it indicates a specific shift in time. Primarily, it means "no longer" or "not now." It emphasizes that a previous state or habit has ended. For example, saying "We don't go to the beach anymore" implies you used to visit the beach regularly, but that tradition has stopped.

It is important to note that in standard English, "anymore" almost always appears in *negative sentences (things that aren't happening). You wouldn't say, "I like chocolate anymore"; you must say, "I don't* like chocolate anymore." However, it is also perfectly common in questions expressing curiosity or surprise, such as: "Do they make those old cars anymore?"

Finally, "anymore" can function as an intensifier regarding your tolerance or endurance, often conveying frustration. For example: "I can't stand the noise anymore!" means your patience has completely run out. (Note: Be careful not to confuse it with "any more" written as two words, which refers to quantities, like "I don't have any more apples.")

In some regional varieties of English (especially in parts of the U.S.), you may also hear *positive* "anymore" in affirmative sentences, meaning something like "nowadays" (for example, "People are so busy anymore"). This is natural in those dialects, but it’s usually considered nonstandard in formal writing.