Indefinite Pronouns | Examples & List
Indefinite pronouns (e.g., “someone” or “several”) are different from other pronouns because they refer to nouns that are general, vague, or undetermined. An indefinite pronoun refers to all, one or more, or none of the people, places, or things in a category.
I asked Cathy to bring something sweet to the dinner party.
I knocked several times, but nobody answered.
Many indefinite pronouns start with “any,” “no,” “some,” or “every” and end with “-one,” “-body,” or “-thing.” Examples of these include “anybody” or “everything.” Other indefinite pronouns—such as “much,” “little,” and “either”—aren’t compound words.
Table of contents
List of singular and plural indefinite pronouns
Like other types of pronouns, indefinite pronouns can be singular or plural, and some can be either, depending on the context.
| Singular | Plural | Either |
|---|---|---|
| Another
Anyone Anything Each Everybody Everything Less Little Much Nobody Nothing Somebody Someone Something |
Both
Few Many Others Several |
All
Any Enough More Most None Some Such |
Indefinite pronouns and subject-verb agreement
Sentences with indefinite pronouns as the subject should have subject-verb agreement. All of the -any/-every/-no/-some pronouns are singular even if they refer to more than one (e.g., “everything”).
Everybody who works here loves their job.
Does anybody know where Hogwarts is located?
A few of the indefinite pronouns are always plural.
Carol always fed wild animals in her backyard, and several were racoons.
This maple tree turns red in the fall, but the others in my yard turn yellow.
Some indefinite pronouns can be either singular or plural. An indefinite pronoun acts as a singular subject when it refers to an uncountable noun (e.g., “coffee” or “sugar”) or part of a singular noun. When indefinite pronouns refer to plural countable nouns or multiple units (e.g., “cups of coffee”), they act as plural subjects.
| Pronoun | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| None | None of this movie makes sense. | None of my friends make their own bread. |
| Most | The instructor assigned a lot of homework, but most of it was easy. | Most of the students were prepared for the test. |
| Some | Some of this pie is for you. | Some of the puzzle pieces are missing. |
| All | All of this pizza has gotten cold. | Aarti bought three dresses, and all of them have pockets. |
How are indefinite pronouns used in sentences?
Indefinite pronouns can be subjects or objects in sentences, but they don’t have different subject and object forms like personal pronouns (e.g., “he” and “him”). The indefinite pronouns can perform any of the roles in sentences that nouns can play:
| Use | Example | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | Something amazing happened last night. | Performs the action in the sentence. |
| Predicate nominative | The vacation in Costa Rica was everything. | Describes or renames the subject |
| Direct object | Alton spends most of his time cooking. | Receives the action of the verb |
| Indirect object | Sarah gave everyone her secret recipe. | Receives the direct object |
| Object of a preposition | The envelope wasn’t addressed to anyone. | Follows a preposition |
Indefinite pronouns are often followed by modifiers—adjectives, prepositional phrases, or adjective clauses—that provide context about what the pronoun might mean.
Everyone at the concert listened quietly to the solo.
Dogs shouldn’t eat anything that has chocolate.
Indefinite pronouns in negative statements
Negative statements that include the word “not” or a contraction that abbreviates “not” (e.g., “can’t” for “cannot”) should not include the indefinite pronouns “nobody,” “nothing,” or “none.” Combining “not” with one of the “no-” pronouns leads to double negatives.
Instead, sentences with “not” usually need indefinite pronouns that begin with “any-” or
“every-” (e.g., “anything”). The “no-” pronouns usually need a verb that doesn’t include “not.”
In addition, the “some-” pronouns are sometimes incorrect in negative statements because they don’t express the precise meaning. This isn’t always true, though (e.g., “Isn’t there something I can do?” is a correct alternative to “Is there anything I can do?”).
- Doctors can’t do nothing about the common cold.
- Doctors can’t do something about the common cold.
- Doctors can do nothing about the common cold.
- Doctors can’t do anything about the common cold.
- Robert couldn’t see none of the shooting stars last night.
- Robert couldn’t see any of the shooting stars last night.
Indefinite pronouns vs determiners
Many of the indefinite pronouns can also function as determiners in sentences. The difference is as follows:
- Indefinite pronouns represent other nouns and go before verbs, adjectives, prepositional phrases, or adjective clauses.
- Determiners go before the nouns that they describe or modify.
| Indefinite pronoun | Determiner |
|---|---|
| Many of my favorite musicians attended the Berklee College of Music. | Many professional musicians take music lessons just like everybody else. |
| Few realize how lucky they are. | We ordered a few appetizers instead of entrees. |
| One large pizza will be enough for our crew. | Babies cry when they don’t get enough sleep. |
Avoiding gender bias with indefinite pronouns
In some sentences, singular indefinite pronouns refer to a hypothetical person (e.g., “someone,” “each,” or “anyone”). When these sentences use additional pronouns to refer to a hypothetical person, the singular “they” pronouns are more inclusive than gendered pronouns (e.g., “his”).
- Each of my students had his or her own interpretation of the novel.
- Each of my students had their own interpretation of the novel.
- If anyone has questions, s/he can email them to Gwen.
- If anyone has questions, they can email them to Gwen.
The impersonal pronoun “one”
The impersonal pronoun “one” works the same way as indefinite pronouns. It usually refers to a hypothetical person, like the indefinite pronouns “each” or “anyone.” It also has the reflexive pronoun form “oneself.”
The purpose of “one” is usually to make generalizations about all people. It’s a formal version of the second-person pronoun “you” to mean “people in general.”
One often gets the best ideas just before bed.
One should consider all perspectives before forming an opinion.
Frequently asked questions about indefinite pronouns
- Is it everybody has or everybody have?
-
Everybody has is correct, and everybody have is incorrect. Have and has cannot be used interchangeably.
“Everybody” is one of the singular indefinite pronouns even though it refers to “all the people.” When “everybody” is the subject of a sentence, the verb “to have” should end in “-s” (e.g., “Everybody has an opinion about artificial intelligence”).
Only plural indefinite pronouns agree with the verb “have” (e.g., “Both of my parents have interesting hobbies”).
When you’re using “everybody” and other pronouns in your writing, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you avoid errors.
- Is most singular or plural?
-
Most can be singular or plural, and it can be an indefinite pronoun or a determiner.
As an indefinite pronoun, “most” is singular when it refers to part of an uncountable noun (e.g., “Most of this bread is moldy”).
The indefinite pronoun “most” is plural when it refers to multiple countable nouns or multiple parts of an uncountable noun (e.g., “Most of the students are excited about the class”).
The same rules apply when “most” is a determiner that modifies a noun (e.g., “Most citrus tastes sour” vs. “Most of the pears were delicious”).
When you’re using “most” and other pronouns or determiners in your writing, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you avoid errors.
- Is some a pronoun?
-
Some is an indefinite pronoun or a determiner.
As an indefinite pronoun, “some” can be a subject or object that represents an undetermined or general noun in a sentence (e.g., “Some of my friends have already seen the Beetlejuice sequel”).
“Some” is usually an indefinite pronoun when it’s followed by a verb, adjective, prepositional phrase, or adjective clause.
When “some” is a determiner, it’s followed by a noun that it modifies (e.g., “Some people watch scary movies on Halloween”).
Whether you’re using “some” as a pronoun or a determiner, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you avoid mistakes.
- Is none singular or plural?
-
None can be a singular or plural indefinite pronoun.
“None” is singular when it refers to part of an uncountable noun (e.g., “None of this handwriting is legible”).
“None” is plural when it refers to multiple countable nouns (e.g., “None of these assignments are too difficult”) or multiple parts of an uncountable noun (e.g., “None of the sticks of butter have melted”).
When you’re using “none” and other pronouns in your writing, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you avoid mistakes.
