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Master the rules for tricky pronouns that don't refer to a specific person.
Imagine you are a detective at a party where nobody has a name tag. How do you tell the police that 'someone' took the cake or 'everyone' saw it happen without knowing a single person's name?
Indefinite pronouns are words we use when we don't want to—or can't—name a specific person, place, or thing. Words like everyone, somebody, anything, and nothing are part of this squad. They are 'indefinite' because they don't point to a definite, specific person like 'Sarah' or 'the teacher.' Even though a word like everyone sounds like it refers to a big group of people, in the world of grammar, it usually acts like a single unit. Think of it as one big group acting together as a single 'it'.
Let's find the indefinite pronoun in a simple sentence.
1. Sentence: 'Somebody left a muddy footprint on the rug.' 2. Look for the word that replaces a specific name (we don't know who did it). 3. The word is Somebody. 4. Result: 'Somebody' is our indefinite pronoun.
Quick Check
In the sentence 'Does anyone have a pencil?', which word is the indefinite pronoun?
Answer
anyone
Here is the golden rule: Most indefinite pronouns are singular. This means they need a singular verb. A great trick is to remember the 'Singular S.' In the present tense, singular verbs usually end in s. For example, we say 'He walks,' not 'He walk.' Since everyone is singular, we say 'Everyone walks.' Even if it feels like you are talking about 100 people, the word itself is treated as group. If the pronoun ends in -one, -body, or -thing, it is almost always singular!
Choosing the right verb for a tricky sentence.
1. Sentence: 'Each of the players (run/runs) to the base.' 2. Identify the subject: The subject is Each, not 'players.' 3. Rule: Each is always singular (). 4. Select the singular verb: runs (it has the 's'). 5. Correct Sentence: 'Each of the players runs to the base.'
Quick Check
True or False: The word 'nobody' should be treated as a plural word because it refers to many people not being there.
Answer
False
Some words are extra sneaky. Each, Neither, and Either often show up right before a phrase like 'of the students' or 'of the dogs.' Don't let that plural word 'dogs' fool you! The subject is still the indefinite pronoun. If you can replace the pronoun with the word 'it' and the sentence still makes sense grammatically, you know it's singular. For example: 'Each (it) has a tail' vs. 'Each (it) have a tail.' The first one sounds right because it follows the singular rule.
Fixing a broken sentence with multiple parts.
1. Broken Sentence: 'Everyone in the choir sing their favorite song.' 2. Step 1: Find the pronoun (Everyone). It is singular. 3. Step 2: Fix the verb. 'Sing' becomes sings. 4. Step 3: Fix the possessive. Instead of 'their,' use his or her (though 'their' is becoming more common, 'his or her' is the traditional rule for singular agreement). 5. Final Result: 'Everyone in the choir sings his or her favorite song.'
Which of these is an indefinite pronoun?
Choose the correct verb: 'Nobody ___ the answer to the riddle.'
In the sentence 'Each of the kittens is soft,' the word 'is' is correct because 'Each' is singular.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to list three indefinite pronouns that end in '-thing' and three that end in '-one'.
Practice Activity
While reading a book tonight, try to find two indefinite pronouns. Check the verb next to them—does it follow the 'Singular S' rule?