Introduction
The indefinite pronouns include something/somebody, anything/anybody,everything/everybody and nothing/nobody. We use indefinite pronouns when we are generalising and not speaking about something concrete.
I am lost. Nothing looks familiar. Everything looks different.
There’s nobody in the street. I’d really like to asksomeone. I’m sure anyone could help me to get back to the city centre. But there isn’t anyone here I could ask. It seems that everyone’s disappeared.
I think I heard something. Is there anyone there? I would do anything to get back to the city centre.
Usage
Things or People
When we are referring to things, we use the indefinite pronouns that end in -thing.
- Example:
- everything, something, anything, nothing
For people, we use the indefinite pronouns that end in -body or -one.
- Example:
- everybody/everyone, somebody/someone, anybody/anyone, nobody/no one
Difference between every-, some-, any-, no-
| indefinite pronoun | usage | example |
|---|---|---|
| everything everybody/everyone | every individual in a group, all together | Everything looks different. It seems that everyone has disappeared. |
| something somebody/someone | an unspecified person or thing | I would really like to asksomeone. I think I heard something. |
| anything anybody/anyone | one random person of a group, one random thing | I am sure anyone could help me to get back to the city centre. I would do anything to get back to the city centre. |
| in negative sentences, in the sense of nothing/nobody | But there isn’t anyone here I could ask. | |
| in questions whether there is something/something | Is there anyone there? | |
| nothing nobody/no one | not one single thing or person | Nothing looks familiar.There is nobody in the street. |
Nothing/nobody or anything/anybody
Instead of nothing/nobody/no one we can also use not anything/anybody/anyone.
- Example:
- Nothing looks familiar.
I don’t see anything that looks familiar. - There is nobody here I could ask.
There isn’t anyone here I could ask.
Everything/everybody or anything/anybody
For foreign learners of English it is sometimes difficult to know whether to useany- or every-.
If we are referring to any person or thing from a group, we need to use any-. To help us remember this rule, we can imagine various people or things and put an orin between them.
- Example:
- Anyone could help me: the man or the woman or the child or the old lady.
- I will do anything if you help me: I will give you money or I will help you do the washing up or I will go to the cinema with you.
However, if we truly mean every single individual or the entire group together, we have to use every-. To help us remember this rule, we can imagine various people or things and put an and in between them.
- Example:
- Everyone has disappeared: the man and the woman and the child andthe old lady.
- I will do everything if you help me: I will give you money and I will help you do the washing up and I will go to the cinema with you.
Indefinite pronouns + they
The indefinite pronouns that end in body/one indicate a person. If we replace these pronouns with personal or possessive pronouns we use the third person plural.
- Example:
- I would really like to ask someone if they knew the way.
- Everybody should know their way home.
The indefinite pronouns that end in thing, however, do not refer to people and are therefore replaced with the pronoun it.
- Example:
- Nothing looks the way it used to.
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