Indefinite Pronouns

What are Indefinite Pronouns?

An indefinite pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun when we don't know exactly who or what we are talking about.

Usually, a pronoun like "he" refers to a specific person (like Ben). But an indefinite pronoun is "indefinite"—it's a bit of a mystery!

Common Indefinite Pronouns We often use these words to talk about people, things, or amounts in a general way.

1. Talking About People

• Everyone / Everybody: All the people in a group.
• Someone / Somebody: One person, but we don't know who.
• Anyone / Anybody: It doesn't matter which person.
• No one / Nobody: Not a single person.

Sentence: Everyone laughed at the joke. Sentence: Someone left an umbrella in the hall.

2. Talking About Things

• Everything: All the things.
• Something: One thing (a mystery thing!).
• Anything: Any thing at all.
• Nothing: Not a single thing.

Sentence: I have something in my pocket. Sentence: There is nothing in the box.

The "Singular" Rule Even though words like "everyone" or "everything" sound like they are talking about a lot of people, we treat them as one single group. This means we use the same verbs we use for "he" or "she."

• No: Everyone are happy.
• Yes: Everyone is happy.
• No: Something feel cold.
• Yes: Something feels cold.

Using Indefinite Pronouns for Amounts Sometimes we use these pronouns to talk about how much of something there is without using a specific number:

• All: The whole amount.
• Some: A part of the amount.
• Any: Even a little bit.
• None: Zero.

Sentence: All of the milk is gone. Sentence: Do you have any glue?

Why Do We Use Them?

• When we don't know the name: If you see a mess but don't know who did it, you say, "Someone made a mess!"
• To be inclusive: Instead of naming every student, a teacher says, "Everybody line up."
• To talk about secrets: "I know something you don't know!"

Lesson Summary

• Indefinite pronouns refer to people or things in a general way.
• Words ending in -body, -one, or -thing are usually indefinite.
• Treat them as singular (use "is" instead of "are").