Home | Join us | Log In | Submit my article | Study Resource | Map

Indefinite Pronoun

Indefinite pronouns refer to things or people without mentioning what or who they are.

For example:-

  • Somebody stole my car.
  • Does anybody know who she is?

Other indefinite pronouns include - anything, anyone, something, someone, nothing, nobody, none, no one

!Note

For people we use: anybody or anyone | somebody or someone | nobody or no one
For things we use: anything, something, nothing, none

See if you can make sense of this amusing story:-

Somebody, Everybody, Anybody, and Nobody

Once there were four managers.  Their names were: Somebody, Everybody, Anybody, and Nobody.  They were very busy people, but whenever there was an important job to be done, Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did. When Nobody did it, Everybody got angry because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought that Somebody would do it, but Nobody realized that Nobody would do it. So consequently Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done in the first place.

For example, Everybody had a good idea.  Nobody thought somebody would follow it through.  Somebody thought anybody could work on it.  Anybody thought everybody should do it.  Eveybody thought someone would do it. So nobody did anything. Now they all worked in the same company and the company held a great competition:  Who could produce the best logo?  Everybody thought anybody could win something.  Anybody thought somebody should win.  Somebody thought everybody would win.  Nobody thought nobody would win.  What did they win? Nothing!

EnglishReadingSkill.COM 1997-2008 all rights reserved