diff --git a/pyrefly/lib/alt/answers_solver.rs b/pyrefly/lib/alt/answers_solver.rs
index 4425b56b06..4c9bb375c7 100644
--- a/pyrefly/lib/alt/answers_solver.rs
+++ b/pyrefly/lib/alt/answers_solver.rs
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ use crate::alt::answers::SolutionsEntry;
 use crate::alt::answers::SolutionsTable;
 use crate::alt::traits::Solve;
 use crate::binding::binding::AnyIdx;
+use crate::config::error_kind::ErrorKind;
 use crate::binding::binding::Binding;
 use crate::binding::binding::Exported;
 use crate::binding::binding::KeyExport;
@@ -871,4 +872,32 @@ impl<'a, Ans: LookupAnswer> AnswersSolver<'a, Ans> {
     pub fn error_swallower(&self) -> ErrorCollector {
         ErrorCollector::new(self.module().dupe(), ErrorStyle::Never)
     }
+
+    /// Add an implicit-any error for a generic class without explicit type arguments.
+    pub fn add_implicit_any_error(
+        errors: &ErrorCollector,
+        range: TextRange,
+        class_name: &str,
+        tparam_name: Option<&str>,
+    ) {
+        let msg = if let Some(tparam) = tparam_name {
+            format!(
+                "Cannot determine the type parameter `{}` for generic class `{}`",
+                tparam, class_name,
+            )
+        } else {
+            format!(
+                "Cannot determine the type parameter for generic class `{}`",
+                class_name
+            )
+        };
+        errors.add(
+            range,
+            ErrorInfo::Kind(ErrorKind::ImplicitAny),
+            vec1![
+                msg,
+                "Either specify the type argument explicitly, or specify a default for the type variable.".to_owned(),
+            ],
+        );
+    }
 }
diff --git a/pyrefly/lib/alt/class/targs.rs b/pyrefly/lib/alt/class/targs.rs
index 32ffc70e2b..c2519b8df1 100644
--- a/pyrefly/lib/alt/class/targs.rs
+++ b/pyrefly/lib/alt/class/targs.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ use pyrefly_util::prelude::SliceExt;
 use ruff_python_ast::name::Name;
 use ruff_text_size::TextRange;
 use starlark_map::small_map::SmallMap;
-use vec1::vec1;
 
 use crate::alt::answers::LookupAnswer;
 use crate::alt::answers_solver::AnswersSolver;
@@ -170,17 +169,11 @@ impl<'a, Ans: LookupAnswer> AnswersSolver<'a, Ans> {
         let targs = self.create_default_targs(
             self.get_class_tparams(cls),
             Some(&|tparam: &TParam| {
-                errors.add(
+                Self::add_implicit_any_error(
+                    errors,
                     range,
-                    ErrorInfo::Kind(ErrorKind::ImplicitAny),
-                    vec1![
-                        format!(
-                            "Cannot determine the type parameter `{}` for generic class `{}`",
-                            tparam.name(),
-                            cls.name(),
-                        ),
-                        "Either specify the type argument explicitly, or specify a default for the type variable.".to_owned(),
-                    ],
+                    cls.name().as_str(),
+                    Some(tparam.name().as_str()),
                 );
             }),
         );
diff --git a/pyrefly/lib/alt/expr.rs b/pyrefly/lib/alt/expr.rs
index 98c7ffa906..869da7059c 100644
--- a/pyrefly/lib/alt/expr.rs
+++ b/pyrefly/lib/alt/expr.rs
@@ -1278,16 +1278,20 @@ impl<'a, Ans: LookupAnswer> AnswersSolver<'a, Ans> {
     ) -> Type {
         ty.transform(&mut |ty| match ty {
             Type::SpecialForm(SpecialForm::Tuple) => {
+                Self::add_implicit_any_error(errors, range, "tuple", None);
                 *ty = Type::unbounded_tuple(Type::Any(AnyStyle::Implicit));
             }
             Type::SpecialForm(SpecialForm::Callable) => {
+                Self::add_implicit_any_error(errors, range, "Callable", None);
                 *ty = Type::callable_ellipsis(Type::Any(AnyStyle::Implicit))
             }
             Type::SpecialForm(SpecialForm::Type) => {
+                Self::add_implicit_any_error(errors, range, "type", None);
                 *ty = Type::type_form(Type::Any(AnyStyle::Implicit))
             }
             Type::ClassDef(cls) => {
                 if cls.is_builtin("tuple") {
+                    Self::add_implicit_any_error(errors, range, "tuple", None);
                     *ty = Type::type_form(Type::unbounded_tuple(Type::Any(AnyStyle::Implicit)));
                 } else if cls.has_toplevel_qname("typing", "Any") {
                     *ty = Type::type_form(Type::any_explicit())
diff --git a/pyrefly/lib/test/generic_basic.rs b/pyrefly/lib/test/generic_basic.rs
index ebbe76c9ee..552c2190c1 100644
--- a/pyrefly/lib/test/generic_basic.rs
+++ b/pyrefly/lib/test/generic_basic.rs
@@ -533,3 +533,26 @@ def _to_list[T](
 def to_type[T](value: Any, kind: TypeForm[T]) -> T: ...
     "#,
 );
+
+// https://github.com/facebook/pyrefly/issues/1970
+testcase!(
+    test_implicit_any_for_special_forms,
+    TestEnv::new().enable_implicit_any_error(),
+    r#"
+from typing import Callable, Type
+
+def f(
+    x: list,      # E: Cannot determine the type parameter `_T` for generic class `list`
+    y: tuple,     # E: Cannot determine the type parameter for generic class `tuple`
+    z: Callable,  # E: Cannot determine the type parameter for generic class `Callable`
+    w: Type,      # E: Cannot determine the type parameter for generic class `type`
+):
+    pass
+
+# Note: bare builtin `type` annotation doesn't trigger implicit-any yet because
+# the `type` class is not defined as generic in typeshed. `typing.Type` works
+# because it's handled as a special form.
+def g(t: type):
+    pass
+    "#,
+);