Something, Anything, Everything:
The Intriguing World of Indefinite Pronouns
Indefinite pronouns are words that don’t refer to a specific person or thing. They are used when we don’t know or don’t need to specify exactly who or what we’re talking about. Here are some things to know about indefinite pronouns:
- Indefinite pronouns can be singular or plural, depending on the context of the sentence. For example, “everyone” is singular because it refers to one group of people collectively, while “some” is plural because it refers to more than one thing. It’s important to identify whether an indefinite pronoun is singular or plural so you can use the right verb form.
- When a singular indefinite pronoun is the subject of a sentence, it takes a singular verb. For example, “everyone is here” and “nobody knows the answer” use singular verbs because “everyone” and “nobody” are singular indefinite pronouns.
- When a plural indefinite pronoun is the subject of a sentence, it takes a plural verb. For example, “some are happy” and “few understand the concept” use plural verbs because “some” and “few” are plural indefinite pronouns.
