Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns

We use indefinite pronouns to refer to people, things or places without saying exactly who or what they are.

Compare:

• I gave the invitation to all the people in the class.
• I gave the invitation to everybody in the class.

anybody	anything	anywhere
everybody	everything	everywhere
nobody	nothing	nowhere
somebody	something	somewhere

 

Note:
anyone = anybody
everyone = everybody
no one = nobody
someone = somebody

No one is written as two words, or with a hyphen: no-one.

When an indefinite pronoun is the subject it is followed by a singular verb.

• Everyone is ready.
• Everything was recorded.

Indefinite pronouns are singular, but to refer back to them we use plural pronouns, e.g. they, their, themselves, etc.

• It's difficult to tell someone that they have failed.
• Everybody helped themselves.
• Nobody says they have seen anything unusual.
  NOT: Nobody says he has seen anything unusual.