Indefinite pronouns (-body, -one, -thing, -where)

An indefinite pronoun is a pronoun that does not refer to any particular person, thing or place. 

The indefinite pronouns ending in –body, –one, -thing and -where are used to refer to people, things, and places when you do not know who or what they are. They are written as one word. 

Note that no one is written as two separate words.

	Some-	Any-	No-	Every-
-body	somebody	anybody	nobody	everybody
-one	someone	anyone	no one	everyone
-thing	something	anything	nothing	everything
-where	somewhere	anywhere	nowhere	everywhere

All of these indefinite pronouns take singular verbs. 

• Everyone likes my father. 
• Everyone like my father. 
• No one was injured in the crash. 
• No one were injured in the crash. 

Pronouns ending in –one or –body are used to refer to people. 

• Everyone is ready to go. 
• There's someone at the kitchen door. 
• We need somebody to help us. 
• Hello? Is anybody there? 
• Promise me that you won't tell anyone. 
• I heard someone screaming for help. 

-one vs -body 

Pronouns ending in-one and -body are interchangeable. In spoken language, -body is used more often than -one.  

• Everybody/Everyone was thrilled by his news. 

Pronouns ending in –thing are used to refer to things. 

• Everything had gone silent. 
• There was something in my shoe. 
• Did anyone see anything there? 
• I didn't do anything wrong. 

Pronouns ending in –where are used to refer to places that you do not know. 

• I've looked everywhere for it. 
• I need somewhere to stay tonight. 
• I don't have anywhere to live. 

We usually use indefinite pronouns with some in positive sentences. 

In negative sentences and questions, we usually use indefinite pronouns with any. 

We normally use plural pronouns they, their and them to refer back to an indefinite pronoun. 

• Everyone has a right to say what they think. 

We do not use another negative word such as not after indefinite pronouns with no-. 

• Nobody is available on Wednesday. 
• Nobody is not available... 

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