Indefinite pronoun
Definition
An indefinite pronoun refers to a person, thing, place or amount without identifying it precisely. Common groups include someone/anyone/no one/everyone, something/anything/nothing/everything, and quantity words such as some, many, few and none when they stand without a following noun.
Examples
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Someone left a message.
The pronoun refers to an unidentified person.
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I could not find anything.
Anything refers to an unspecified thing in a negative sentence.
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Everything is ready.
Everything refers to all the relevant things as one complete set.
Some- forms vs. any- forms
Someone is waiting outside.
A some- pronoun is common in affirmative statements.
Is anyone waiting outside?
An any- pronoun is common in neutral questions and negatives.
Some- forms often suggest existence or expectation. Any- forms are common when existence is uncertain, questioned or negated.
Compound indefinite pronouns are grammatically singular
Pronouns ending in -one, -body and -thing normally take singular verbs, even when they refer to an unknown member of a group. Singular they is common when the person's gender is unknown or irrelevant.
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Everyone has arrived.
Everyone takes the singular verb has.
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Someone left their umbrella.
Singular their naturally refers back to the unidentified person.
Common mistakes
Everyone are ready.
Everyone is ready.
Everyone is grammatically singular.
I did not see nobody.
I did not see anybody.
In standard English, use anybody after a negative verb rather than adding a second negative.
Quick check
Question 1 of 3
Which sentence uses a singular verb correctly?
Everybody is grammatically singular, so the verb is knows.Which pronoun is natural in a neutral question?
Anyone is common in a neutral question, and the main verb remains call after did.Which sentence avoids a double negative?
Use anything after the negative verb phrase did not hear.Nice work — you've completed the quick check.
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