Level: beginner
Some of the indefinite pronouns in English are:
| anybody | everybody | nobody | somebody |
| anyone | everyone | no one | someone |
| anything | everything | nothing | something |
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.
- Indefinite pronouns 1
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.
| Be careful! |
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In negative clauses, we use pronouns with no-, not pronouns with any-:
We do not use another negative in a clause with nobody, no one or nothing:
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- Indefinite pronouns 2
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 else after indefinite pronouns to refer to other people or things:
All the family came, but no one else.
If Michael can't come, we'll ask somebody else.
I think this is somebody else's coat.
Comments
An indefinite pronoun does not refer to any specific person, thing or amount. It is vague and "not definite". Some typical indefinite pronouns are: all, another, any, anybody/anyone, anything, each, everybody/everyone, everything, few, many, nobody, none, one, several, some, somebody/someone.
hi
Hello,
Let me see if I got this correctly, indefinite pronouns can be singular and plural. We treat them as singular when we think of the verb after them, but we treat them as plural when we refer back to them?
Thank you.
Hello H_L,
That's quite right. Well done!
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
This is the first time I study grammar from here; I find it very clear and straightforward. Also, whenever I don't understand something, you help me clear things up.
Thank you, I appreciate your help greatly.
What is the question form of this sentence. Nobody wants to go with him. Who wants to go with him? Or Who doesn't want to go with him? Thank you
Hello Natavan Gojayeva,
There are several possible questions. The most likely are questions about 'nobody':
You could also ask about other elements in the sentence:
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello,
"If Michael can't come, we'll ask somebody else." in this sentence, can we use "someone" instead of "somebody"?
Thanks.
Hello redream
Yes, that is correct. They both mean exactly the same thing.
All the best
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello,
Please is there a rule for using the indefinite pronouns relating to people, i.e. somebody/someone, anybody/anyone, nobody/no one, everybody/everyone...?
Or, are they interchangeable?
Regards,
Tope
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