indefinite pronouns

 

The indefinite pronouns are:

somebody someone something
anybody anyone anything
nobody no one nothing
everybody everyone everything

We use indefinite pronouns to refer to people or things without saying exactly who or what they are. We use pronouns ending in -body or -one for people, and pronouns ending in -thing for things:

Everybody enjoyed the concert.
I opened the door but there was no one at home.
It was a very clear day. We could see everything.

We use a singular verb after an indefinite pronoun:

Everybody loves Sally.
Everything was ready for the party.

When we refer back to an indefinite pronoun we normally use a plural pronoun:

Everybody enjoyed the concert. They stood up and clapped.
I will tell somebody that dinner is ready. They have been waiting a long time.

We can add -'s to an indefinite pronoun to make a possessive.

They were staying in somebody’s house.
Is this anybody’s coat?

We use indefinite pronouns with no- as the subject in negative clauses (not pronouns with any.)

Anybody didn’t come >> Nobody came.

We do not use another negative in a clause with nobody, no one or nothing:

Nobody came.
Nothing happened.

We use else after indefinite pronouns to refer to people or things in addition to the ones we already mentioned.

All the family came, but no one else.
If Michael can’t come we’ll ask somebody else.
So that's eggs, peas and chips. Do you want anything else?

Exercise

Comments

Aisy's picture

what is the different between somebody and someone?
So what does it mean when i say:
1. Somebody told me that Bali is beautiful island.
2. Someone told me that Bali is beautiful island.

Stephen Jones's picture

Hello Aisy and Annie_Pham,
 
The meaning is exactly the same, although ​-body ​is more common in spoken English.
 
Regards,
 
Stephen Jones
The LearnEnglish Team

Annie_Pham's picture

Hello everyone, I'm a newbie here.May I ask the difference between -one & -body?

kuribayashi_@ hotmail.com's picture

Hello everybody! Thanks for the lessons.

elan's picture

I hear regularly on tv that an arrested criminal says to the police:
"I don't know nothing about it "or " I didn't do nothing".
This sounds a little bit strange to me because it is a double negative and in my language that is not allowed.
Some criminals are not the most clever people, but is this correct English?
I would use the word "anything", is that also correct?
 

aypy's picture

got 100%

Murysya's picture

Hi!
Could you tell me what is the difference between somebody and someone?
Thank you in advance!

ysphor's picture

Q1..
Can I write in this form?
Can somebody lend me some money? instead of using "anybody"

AdamJK's picture

Hello,
You can certainly say that and the meaning is almost the same. 'Anybody' suggests to me that you don't care who lends you the money. Using 'somebody' suggests that you are addressing a specific group of people.
Best wishes,
Adam
The LearnEnglish Team

mydang's picture

So why is the answer incorrect when I choose "somebody"? I think there are two options for this question.
Cause when the answer is incorrect, I just think "ah, i can't use somebody in this situation" - so maybe I'll make mistake whenever I see it again.
Thanks.