Practice
Indefinite pronouns: rules and examples
Compare these sentences: "Someone left a message for you." and "No one left a message for you." One word changes whether there is a message at all.
Choose an indefinite pronoun that matches the meaning, then use the usual singular verb form with it.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
Everyone should bring their identification. /ˈɛvriwʌn ʃʊd brɪŋ ðer aɪˌdɛntəfəˈkeɪʃən/
The short answer
Use an indefinite pronoun when the exact person, thing, or place is unknown, unimportant, or not named. Most pronouns ending in -one, -body, or -thing take a singular verb: Everyone is ready, and nothing was missing.
Nobody knows the answer yet.
Why it works: Nobody refers to no person, but it takes the singular verb knows.
5 more examples
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Someone has left an umbrella in the lobby.
Someone refers to an unknown person. Has is singular because someone is grammatically singular.
Not this:
No one hasleft an umbrella in the lobby. What changes: No one changes the meaning to zero people, but the verb remains singular. -
Did anybody save the meeting notes?
Anybody is natural in this open question because the speaker does not know whether a person saved the notes.
Not this:
Somebody savedthe meeting notes. What changes: Somebody states that a person did save them, even though the person is not named. -
Everything on the checklist is complete.
Everything includes all the items being considered. The verb is is singular.
Not this:
Nothing on the checklist iscomplete. What changes: Nothing means that zero items are complete. It also takes is. -
Everyone should bring their identification.
Everyone is singular, but singular they or their is widely used when the person's gender is not known or is not relevant.
Not this:
All the visitors should bring theiridentification. What changes: All the visitors is a plural noun phrase, while everyone is an indefinite pronoun with singular verb agreement. -
We could not find anything useful in the drawer.
Anything is common after a negative verb when no useful thing was found.
Not this:We found
something usefulin the drawer. What changes: Something fits a positive statement that says a useful thing was found.
Read the full guide
Start with the meaning you need. Choose some- when you expect or offer something, any- for an open question or a negative idea, every- for all people or things in the group, and no- for none. Then check the verb. The usual verb form is singular.
Choose the part that matches the meaning
The first part of an indefinite pronoun tells you the basic meaning. Some- often points to an existing but unnamed person or thing. Any- leaves the choice open, especially in questions and negative statements. Every- includes all members of the relevant group, and no- means none.
Someone is waiting at the reception desk.
Someone tells us that an unnamed person is there. No one is waiting would say that there is no person there.
Choose the word: ___ in the office knows the new password.
Use everyone if all the people in the office know it: Everyone in the office knows the new password.
Match the ending to people, things, or places
The ending helps you choose a word. Use -one or -body for people, -thing for things, and -where for places. Someone and somebody usually have the same meaning. One form may sound more natural in a particular sentence, but neither changes the grammar rule.
Is there anywhere quiet to make a phone call?
Anywhere refers to an unknown place. Someone would be wrong because the question asks about a location, not a person.
Complete the sentence: I heard ___ knocking at the door.
Use someone or somebody because the sentence refers to a person: I heard someone knocking at the door.
Use a singular verb with most indefinite pronouns
Words such as someone, anyone, everyone, no one, something, anything, everything, and nothing are grammatically singular. Use is, has, does, or another singular verb form, even when the word can refer to many people or things.
Everybody has a place on the schedule.
Everybody refers to many people, but has is singular. The plural form have would not fit this subject.
Choose the verb: Nothing ___ wrong with the printer.
Use is: Nothing is wrong with the printer.
Use some and any with the sentence type
Some- words are common in positive statements. Any- words are common in questions and negatives. This pattern helps, but the speaker's expectation can change the choice. An offer often uses some because the speaker expects or invites a yes answer.
Could I get you something to eat before the trip?
The sentence is a question, yet something is natural because it is an offer. In a neutral information question, anything is often the better choice.
Complete the question: Did you see ___ at the station?
Use anyone in this open question: Did you see anyone at the station?
Avoid a second negative word
No one, nobody, nothing, and nowhere already make a standard English sentence negative. Do not usually add not, never, or another negative word to the same clause. Use either Nobody called or I did not hear from anybody.
Nobody was available after six o'clock.
Nobody already means no person. Nobody was not available creates a double negative and does not express the intended meaning in standard English.
Choose the standard sentence: I did not say nothing, or I did not say anything.
Use I did not say anything. The negative verb did not works with anything.
Before you go
Remember this
Choose the beginning by meaning: some- for an expected or stated person or thing, any- for many questions and negatives, every- for all, and no- for none. Use a singular verb with someone, anyone, everyone, no one, something, anything, everything, and nothing.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Indefinite pronouns: rules and examples"
What is an indefinite pronoun?
An indefinite pronoun refers to a person, thing, or place without giving a specific name. Someone can refer to an unknown person, something to an unknown thing, and somewhere to an unknown place. The word gives the listener a general meaning without identifying the exact noun.
Someone has left an umbrella in the lobby.
Do indefinite pronouns take singular verbs?
Most common indefinite pronouns ending in -one, -body, or -thing take singular verbs. Write Everyone is here, Nobody knows the answer, and Everything has a place. Although everyone can refer to many people, English treats the word as grammatically singular.
No one has left an umbrella in the lobby.
What is the difference between someone and anyone?
Someone often appears in a positive statement about an unnamed person, as in Someone has left an umbrella in the lobby. Anyone is common in open questions and negatives, as in Did anybody save the meeting notes? The surrounding sentence and the speaker's expectation guide the choice.
Did anybody save the meeting notes?
Can I use their after everyone?
Yes. Singular they and their are commonly used after everyone, somebody, or another singular indefinite pronoun when gender is unknown or irrelevant. Write Everyone should bring their identification. The main verb still stays singular: Everyone should bring, not Everyone should brings.
Somebody saved the meeting notes.
Why is nobody not followed by another negative?
Nobody already has a negative meaning, so standard English does not usually add another negative word in the same clause. Write Nobody was available after six o'clock, or I did not hear from anybody. In both sentences, one negative form gives the intended meaning.
Everything on the checklist is complete.