Indefinite pronouns refer to people, things, or quantities without naming specific individuals or objects. Common examples include someone, anyone, everyone, nobody, something, many, few, some, and none.
For example:
Someone has changed the exhibition schedule, but nobody knows who approved the changes.
Someone refers to a person whose identity is not stated. Nobody means that no person knows who approved the changes.
Indefinite pronouns do not always refer to unknown people. Some refer to every member of a group, while others describe an unspecified number or amount. Those differences affect both their meaning and the verbs used with them.
Indefinite Pronouns List
Indefinite pronouns are the pronouns that can refer to people, things, numbers, or quantities. Some have fixed agreement patterns, while others depend on context.
Indefinite Pronouns Referring to People and Things
Many familiar forms combine some-, any-, every-, or no- with -one, -body, or -thing.
| Reference | People | Things |
|---|---|---|
| An unspecified person or thing | someone, somebody | something |
| Any person or thing | anyone, anybody | anything |
| Every person or thing | everyone, everybody | everything |
| No person or thing | no one, nobody | nothing |
Words ending in -one or -body refer to people. Those ending in -thing refer to things, situations, or ideas.
Somebody left a folder containing the original interview notes.
Nothing in the final inspection report suggests structural damage.
Someone/somebody, anyone/anybody, and everyone/everybody have essentially the same meanings. Both forms are standard, although preferences vary with context and style.
No one is normally written as two words. The spelling no-one is also used, particularly in British English.
Other Common Indefinite Pronouns
Some indefinite pronouns refer to quantities or members of a group.
| Agreement pattern | Common forms |
|---|---|
| Usually singular | another, each, either, neither, one, much, little |
| Usually plural | both, few, many, several, others |
| Singular or plural, depending on reference | all, any, enough, more, most, none, some |
The twelve compound forms in the first table, including everyone, anybody, and nothing, normally take singular verbs.
Some of the forms in the second table can also function as determiners or occur in other grammatical constructions. The agreement patterns shown apply to their common independent pronoun uses.
Words such as somewhere, anywhere, and nowhere express indefinite place reference. Traditional grammar often classifies them as indefinite adverbs rather than indefinite pronouns.
Indefinite Pronouns and Subject-Verb Agreement
Indefinite pronouns do not all follow the same verb-agreement rule. Some are grammatically singular or plural, while others depend on what they represent.
Pronouns That Take Singular Verbs
The familiar forms ending in -one, -body, and -thing normally take singular verbs.
Everyone on the selection panel has received the revised applications.
Nothing about the preliminary results seems unusual.
Although everyone may refer to many people, it is grammatically singular.
The same pattern applies to someone, anybody, nobody, everything, and related forms.
Each also normally takes a singular verb when it functions as the subject.
Each of the applicants has received a confirmation email.
The noun applicants is plural, but each is the head of the subject phrase and takes the singular verb has.
Pronouns That Take Plural Verbs
Both, few, many, several, and others normally take plural verbs when used independently.
Several have requested an extension to the submission deadline.
Both are suitable for the revised exhibition layout.
Compare the earlier example involving each with:
Some of the applicants have received a confirmation email.
Both sentences contain the plural noun applicants, but the agreement differs.
Each focuses on individual members and takes singular agreement. Some refers to an unspecified number of applicants and takes plural agreement here.
Pronouns That Can Take Singular or Plural Verbs
Words such as some, all, most, and any can take singular or plural verbs depending on what they refer to.
Compare:
Some of the equipment is ready for installation.
Some of the replacement parts are ready for installation.
In the first sentence, some refers to an amount of equipment, which is uncountable in this context.
In the second, it refers to several countable parts.
The pronoun remains the same, but the verb changes.
The distinction also applies to most.
Most of the evidence is reliable.
Most of the witnesses are available.
With an uncountable reference, singular agreement is usual. With plural countable items or people, plural agreement is appropriate.
Is It None Is or None Are?
None can take singular or plural agreement. The choice depends on the reference and, sometimes, the style of writing.
With uncountable quantities, singular agreement is usual.
None of the equipment is suitable for outdoor use.
With plural countable nouns, both singular and plural agreement are established in standard English.
None of the six proposals has been approved.
None of the six proposals have been approved.
Both sentences mean that zero proposals have been approved.
Singular agreement is often preferred in more formal styles, while plural agreement is also accepted and commonly used with plural countable references.
The rule that none must always take a singular verb is too restrictive.
Singular They After Indefinite Pronouns
An indefinite pronoun can be grammatically singular and still be followed by they, them, or their when referring to a person whose gender is unspecified.
Everyone on the interview panel has submitted their feedback.
Everyone takes the singular verb has, while their refers back naturally to the people involved.
Another example:
If anyone needs a replacement access card, they should contact reception.
Anyone takes the singular verb needs. They refers back to the individual person and follows its usual agreement pattern.
Using singular they does not make everyone or anyone grammatically plural.
Someone, Anyone, Everyone, and No One: Choosing the Right Meaning
The choice between indefinite pronouns can change what a sentence communicates.
Imagine a community organization looking for volunteers.
Someone has offered to coordinate the registrations.
An unidentified person has volunteered.
Anyone can volunteer to coordinate the registrations.
There is no restriction to a particular person.
Everyone has received the volunteer guidelines.
All the relevant people have received the guidelines.
No one has volunteered to coordinate the registrations.
Nobody has offered to take responsibility.
These forms are grammatically similar, but their meanings are different.
Someone vs. Anyone in Questions
Anyone is common in open questions.
Does anyone know why the budget was revised?
The speaker is asking whether any person knows.
Someone may suggest that the speaker expects or suspects that a person has the information.
Did someone change the budget after the committee approved it?
The speaker is considering the possibility that a change was made.
These are tendencies rather than absolute rules. The speaker’s intention and the surrounding context influence the choice.
Something vs. Anything in Offers and Requests
A useful distinction appears when offering something.
Would you like something to drink before the meeting?
Something is natural because the speaker is making an offer.
Compare:
Is there anything you’d like to drink before the meeting?
Anything leaves the possible choices more open.
Both questions are grammatical.
This is why the shortcut that some- forms belong in statements and any- forms belong in questions is incomplete.
Indefinite Pronouns in Negative Sentences
Forms beginning with any- are common after negative verbs.
The editors didn’t receive anything from the external reviewers.
We can express the same basic meaning with nothing and an affirmative verb.
The editors received nothing from the external reviewers.
In standard edited English, combining didn’t with nothing is not the usual way to communicate this simple negative meaning.
Incorrect for the intended meaning in standard edited English:
The editors didn’t receive nothing from the external reviewers.
Correct:
The editors didn’t receive anything from the external reviewers.
Some English dialects use multiple negatives together through a grammatical pattern called negative concord. The guidance here concerns standard edited English.
The use of any- does not automatically make a sentence negative.
Anyone with a valid ticket may enter the exhibition.
Here, anyone means any person who meets the stated condition.
No One vs. None
No one refers to people.
No one attended the final briefing.
None can refer to a previously identified group or quantity.
Ten reviewers were invited to the briefing. None attended.
We can also specify the group with none of.
None of the invited reviewers attended the briefing.
Unlike no one, none can also refer to things or amounts.
The laboratory ordered additional supplies, but none arrived.
None is a pronoun, while no can appear directly before a noun.
Incorrect:
None participants completed the survey.
Correct:
No participants completed the survey.
Correct:
None of the participants completed the survey.
Not Everyone vs. No One
Compare:
Not everyone agreed with the recommendation.
No one agreed with the recommendation.
The first sentence means agreement was not universal. Some people may have agreed.
The second means nobody agreed.
Changing the expression changes the meaning substantially.
Few, A Few, Little, and A Little
Adding a before few or little changes how a quantity is presented.
These expressions can stand independently when the thing being counted or measured is already understood.
Imagine a committee reviewing applications.
| Sentence | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A few were approved. | Some applications were approved |
| Few were approved. | Not many applications were approved |
| A little remains. | A small amount remains |
| Little remains. | Not much remains |
Few and a few are used with plural countable references.
Little and a little refer to uncountable amounts.
The difference is not only about quantity.
A few and a little present a small quantity as something that exists. Few and little emphasize how small or limited the quantity is, often in relation to what was expected or needed.
Compare:
We still have a little time to review the figures.
This suggests that some time remains.
We have little time to review the figures.
This emphasizes that time is limited.
Both are grammatical. The choice depends on the meaning the speaker wants to convey.
Indefinite Pronouns vs. Indefinite Determiners
Some words function as pronouns in one sentence and determiners in another.
Compare:
Several applicants requested an extension.
Several requested an extension.
In the first sentence, several is a determiner used with applicants.
In the second, several stands independently. The context tells us that it refers to applicants.
Another comparison:
Some samples were unsuitable for display.
Some were unsuitable for display.
Both sentences are grammatical, but only the first includes the noun samples.
Every vs. Everyone
Every is a determiner normally used before a singular countable noun.
Every application requires a signed declaration.
It cannot ordinarily stand independently in the same way as each.
Incorrect:
Every requires a signed declaration.
Correct:
Each requires a signed declaration.
The final sentence works when the applications are already understood.
Everyone is an indefinite pronoun referring to people.
Everyone attending the workshop received a printed guide.
Everyone vs. Every One
Although they sound alike, everyone and every one have different grammatical uses.
Everyone means every person in a group.
Everyone attending the workshop received a certificate.
Every one emphasizes each individual member of an identified group. It can refer to people or things.
Twelve manuscripts were shortlisted, and every one of them received detailed feedback.
Every one of is written as separate words.
Incorrect:
Everyone of the manuscripts received feedback.
Correct:
Every one of the manuscripts received feedback.
Each, Either, and Neither
Each, either, and neither are commonly included among indefinite pronouns. They are also discussed as distributive pronouns because they focus on individual members or alternatives.
Each considers members individually.
The finalists were assigned separate interview times. Each received a confirmation email.
Either commonly means one or the other of two alternatives.
Both entrances are accessible. Either is suitable for visitors.
Neither means not one and not the other of two alternatives.
The committee reviewed two revised estimates. Neither was within budget.
As independent subjects, these forms normally take singular verbs in standard formal English.
Other Useful Constructions with Indefinite Pronouns
Two other patterns are worth knowing because they affect how indefinite pronouns combine with other words.
Someone’s and Someone Else’s
Indefinite pronouns referring to people can take possessive endings.
Someone’s access card was left near the reception desk.
When else follows the pronoun, the possessive ending normally comes after else.
The technician accidentally collected someone else’s laptop.
The same pattern applies to expressions such as anyone else’s and nobody else’s.
Something Useful and Anyone Qualified
Descriptive adjectives commonly follow indefinite pronouns such as something, anything, someone, and nothing.
The team needs something reliable for the backup system.
We haven’t found anyone qualified to supervise the restoration.
Nothing unusual appeared in the inspection report.
Reliable, qualified, and unusual describe the indefinite pronouns immediately before them.
For these constructions, the natural order is something reliable, not reliable something.
Choosing Indefinite Pronouns in Context
Understanding indefinite pronouns becomes easier when you see how several forms work together in a situation.
Consider a review panel assessing applications for a research grant.
The panel received twelve applications. Each was assessed independently, and several were shortlisted. Some of the supporting information was missing, but none of the applicants were disqualified for that reason.
The pronouns refer to different kinds of quantities.
| Expression | Reference | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Each was assessed | Individual applications | Each takes singular agreement |
| Several were shortlisted | An unspecified number of applications | Several takes plural agreement |
| Some of the information was missing | An amount of supporting information | The uncountable reference takes was |
| None of the applicants were disqualified | Zero applicants from the group | Plural agreement is accepted with this plural countable reference |
Now consider two possible statements about the shortlisting.
Not every applicant was shortlisted.
At least one applicant was not shortlisted. The sentence does not specify how many were selected.
No applicant was shortlisted.
Zero applicants were shortlisted.
Both sentences are grammatical, but they communicate different outcomes.
The useful distinction is between grammatical agreement and intended meaning. A sentence can have the correct verb and still communicate something different from what the writer intended.
Check Your Understanding
Choose the correct form, explain its meaning, or revise the sentence.
1. Choose the correct verb.
Everyone on the review panel (has / have) received the amended proposal.
2. Choose the correct verb.
Each of the shortlisted candidates (was / were) interviewed separately.
3. Explain the agreement.
Some of the evidence is incomplete, but some of the witness statements are available.
Why does the first clause use is and the second use are?
4. Choose the natural form for an offer.
Would you like (something / anything) to eat before the presentation?
5. Explain the difference.
Few were selected for the final round.
A few were selected for the final round.
What changes in the meaning?
6. Choose the correct construction.
(No / None) of the submitted photographs met the exhibition requirements.
7. Correct the sentence.
Everyone of the twelve finalists received a certificate.
8. Explain the difference in meaning.
Not everyone approved the proposal.
No one approved the proposal.
Do these statements mean the same thing?
Answers
1. Has
Everyone is grammatically singular, even though it can refer to a group of people.
2. Was
Each takes singular agreement in this construction. The plural noun candidates does not make the subject plural.
3. Countable and uncountable references
In the first clause, some refers to an amount of evidence, which is uncountable.
In the second, some refers to plural witness statements.
The verb changes because the reference changes.
4. Something
Something is a natural choice because the speaker is making an offer.
Anything could also be grammatical, particularly when the speaker wants to leave the choice more open. The difference is one of emphasis and conversational purpose, not an absolute grammatical restriction.
5. The quantity is presented differently
Few emphasizes that the number selected was small, often fewer than expected or desired.
A few simply indicates that a small number were selected.
6. None
The correct sentence is:
None of the submitted photographs met the exhibition requirements.
None of refers to the identified group of photographs.
No would be appropriate directly before a noun, as in No photographs met the requirements.
7. Every one
The correct sentence is:
Every one of the twelve finalists received a certificate.
Every one of identifies individual members of a specified group.
8. No, they have different meanings
Not everyone approved means approval was not universal. Some people may have approved.
No one approved means nobody approved the proposal.
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