Do the following questions have the same meaning?

Question

Do you follow any religion?

Do you follow a religion?

Answer 1

Favorite Answer

With nuances excluded, yes, they are basically the same.

"A" is asking for 1 specific religion while "any" is general (non-specified number).

Answer 2

No. The first question refers to the matter of belief in a diety of any sort while the second is specific and a leading question.

Answer 3

Yes. They are meaning the same things.

Answer 4

Yes. They appear identical in meaning.

Answer 5

yes, but one (any) implies that details are expected, and not just simply yes or no.  You expect that the person will follow a simple yes answer to the "any" question by another question ("which one?") when they have used any in the first question.

That is, the person isn't so much interest in whether you do or not (follow a religion), they are more interested in what ones, if you do (follow any religion; if so, which one).

But the basic meaning is the same. Do you or don't you?

do you follow a religion (if so, I don't care which one)

Do you follow any religion (if so, which one?)

Answer 6

"Do you follow any religion? " is different from "Do you follow a religion?", with the word "any" used with plural or noncount nouns. So with "religion" being a singular noun, it may actually be a noncount noun with "any". The word "a" would be defining "religion" as one.

Source(s): https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/396888...

Answer 7

Practically indistinguishable in significance.

So close

I'm not in any event, going to attempt to clarify the slight distinction.

Answer 8

Most people would take it to mean the same thing.

Usually, the question that would be asked is: Do you have a religious affiliation?

Answer 9

No.                                                             

Answer 10

Very nearly identical in meaning.

So close

I'm not even going to try to explain the very slight difference.