Is everybody singular or plural?

Singular for the verb, even though it means all the people in a group. Everybody is ready and Everyone has a badge are the standard forms. A later they or their does not change that first verb: Everybody has their badge, not Everybody have.

When do I use someone and when anyone?

Someone (and somebody, something, somewhere) belongs in affirmative sentences and in offers or requests that expect a yes: Someone called. Would you like something warm? Anyone (and anybody, anything, anywhere) belongs in open questions and after negatives: Has anyone called? I didn't see anything. Offers are the main exception to the question rule.

Can I say they after someone?

Yes, and in current English you usually should. Someone left their umbrella and If anyone asks, tell them I'm out are the unmarked patterns. He after someone now sounds as if you know the person is male, or as if the sentence was written to an older style guide.

What is the difference between nobody and anybody?

Nobody (and no one, nothing, nowhere) carries the negative meaning, so the verb stays affirmative: Nobody volunteered. Anybody needs another negative or a question: I didn't ask anybody. Did anybody volunteer? Do not combine them in standard English: I didn't ask nobody is a double negative.

Why is it something interesting and not interesting something?

Indefinite pronouns do not take adjectives in front of them. The modifier comes after: something interesting, someone new, nowhere quiet. Else works the same way: someone else, nothing else. This is the opposite of a normal noun phrase, where the adjective comes first (an interesting story).

English grammar · Intermediate

Indefinite Pronouns: Someone, Anyone, Everybody, and Nothing

Written by Eleanor Whitfield, Lead English Curriculum Editor · Reviewed September 2026

Indefinite pronouns refer to people, things, or places without naming them: someone, anyone, no one, everybody, something, anything, nothing, somewhere, and the rest of the same set. They are grammatically singular, so they take a singular verb, and in modern English they are usually picked up later by they, them, or their. The some-, any-, no-, and every- series follow the same affirmative, question, and negative pattern as some and any.

Someone has left their umbrella in the porch.

someone takes a singular verb, and their is the usual anaphor

What it is

An indefinite pronoun stands in for a person, thing, or place you do not identify. The set is built on four stems (some, any, no, every) and three endings (one/body, thing, where): someone, anyone, no one, everybody; something, anything, nothing, everything; somewhere, anywhere, nowhere, everywhere. Each form is treated as singular for verb agreement (Everybody is ready, not are), even when the meaning is clearly more than one person. A later mention of that person in contemporary English is they, not he or she.

Somebody knocked. I didn't know them, and nobody else was expecting a visitor. (Somebody is singular; them is the natural follow-up; nobody else adds a second indefinite.)

How to spot it

If a word for a person, thing, or place is built on some, any, no, or every, and there is no noun after it, it is an indefinite pronoun. If a noun follows (every student, some water), you are looking at a determiner, not a pronoun.

Has anyone seen the spare key? (anyone as the subject of a question)
There is nothing in the fridge. (nothing as a thing-pronoun after there is)
We looked everywhere for the invoice. (everywhere as a place-pronoun)
Everybody has their own locker. (everybody plus singular has and their)

No one is written as two words; nobody, someone, and anybody are one word. None is a related pronoun but belongs with the quantifiers: none of the letters, not the some/any set.

Indefinite Pronouns Quick Reference

The some / any / no / every grid

Stem	Person	Thing	Place
some- (affirmative, offers)	someone, somebody	something	somewhere
any- (questions, negatives)	anyone, anybody	anything	anywhere
no- (negative idea, affirmative verb)	no one, nobody	nothing	nowhere
every- (the whole group)	everyone, everybody	everything	everywhere
Verb	singular: has, is, was	singular: is, seems	treated as adverb-like but still one word
Later reference	they, them, their	it (or they for several things)	there
With else	someone else, nobody else	anything else, nothing else	somewhere else
Adjective position	someone new	something useful	somewhere quiet

Common Indefinite Pronouns Examples in English

The four stems in the uses that decide which one you pick:

People You Do Not Name

Someone in accounts has emailed the invoice twice.: some- in an affirmative clause
Does anybody here speak Portuguese?: any- as the subject of a yes/no question
Nobody volunteered to lock the studio.: no- with an affirmative verb, still negative in meaning
Everyone who signed in received a badge.: every- plus a relative clause, verb still singular

Someone and somebody, anyone and anybody, everyone and everybody are interchangeable; body forms are a shade more informal.

Things and Places

I heard something moving in the loft.: something as object, affirmative
We couldn't find anything in the archive box.: anything after a negative verb
There is nowhere to park near the kiln.: nowhere after there is, no extra not
Everything on that shelf belongs to the gallery.: everything as a singular subject

Place forms often sit where an adverbial would: we looked everywhere, not we looked in everywhere.

Questions, Offers, and Negatives

Would you like something to drink before the talk?: some- in an offer, even though it is a question
Is there anywhere we can dry these prints?: any- in a genuine open question
She didn't tell anyone about the shortlist.: any- after didn't, not no one as well
No one has called since lunch.: no- as the negative subject, verb stays affirmative

Offers and requests that expect yes take some- (Would you like something?). Open questions take any-.

Agreement and Follow-up Pronouns

Everybody was in their seat by nine.: was agrees with everybody; their is the anaphor
If anyone objects, they should write to the chair.: anyone + they, not he
Someone has left their cello in the wings.: has is singular; their does not force a plural verb
Nothing ever goes to plan, does it?: nothing takes it in a tag, not they

People-pronouns take they; thing-pronouns usually take it. Mixing them (Nothing... do they?) sounds wrong.

How Indefinite Pronouns Work

Four rules govern the grid: the stem, the singular verb, the later pronoun, and the adjective that follows.

Pick the Stem from the Sentence Type

Some- is the default in affirmative sentences and in questions that offer or request (I saw someone. Could I have something to write with?). Any- is the default in open questions and after a negative word (Has anyone called? I didn't hear anything.). No- carries the negative meaning itself, so the verb stays affirmative (Nobody called, not Nobody didn't call). Every- refers to the whole group and is not sensitive to question or negative in the same way (Everyone knows. Doesn't everyone know?).

I didn't see anyone in the lobby, and nobody has signed the book.

anyone after didn't; nobody as a negative subject with has

Some- yes, any- open or negative, no- as the negative.

The Verb Stays Singular

Everybody, someone, nothing, and the rest take is, was, has, does, not are, have, do. The meaning may be many people, but the grammar is one unit. When a later they appears, do not go back and pluralise the first verb: Everyone has their ticket is the standard pattern, not Everyone have.

Everything on the list needs a signature.

needs, not need, even though the list has many items

Indefinite pronoun + singular verb.

They Is the Normal Follow-up for People

English no longer treats he as a neutral follow-up for someone or everybody. They, them, and their are the unmarked choice for a person whose gender is unknown or irrelevant: Someone left their coat. If anyone calls, tell them I'm out. Thing-pronouns still take it: Something is wrong, isn't it? Using he or she for a generic person now sounds dated or as if you have a particular gender in mind.

If anybody arrives early, ask them to wait in the foyer.

anybody is singular; them is the current anaphor

Someone... they. Something... it.

Adjectives and Else Come After, Not Before

You cannot put an adjective in front of an indefinite pronoun: interesting something is impossible. The adjective follows: something interesting, someone new, nowhere safe. Else works the same way and means additional or different: someone else, nothing else, somewhere else. Anyone else is the usual question form (Is anyone else coming?).

She wants somewhere quiet, not somewhere else noisy.

quiet and else both follow the pronoun

Something + adjective. Someone + else.

Common Mistakes with Indefinite Pronouns

Incorrect: Everybody are bringing their own lunch.

Correct: Everybody is bringing their own lunch.

Everybody is grammatically singular, so the verb is is. Their is still the right later pronoun; it does not licence a plural verb on everybody.

Incorrect: I didn't meet nobody at the preview.

Correct: I didn't meet anybody at the preview.

Didn't already makes the clause negative, so the pronoun should be any-, not no-. Nobody would be correct only with an affirmative verb: I met nobody.

Incorrect: She said me something interesting about the glaze.

Correct: She told me something interesting about the glaze.

Two separate issues often travel together: say does not take a person object (tell me), and the adjective interesting must follow something, which this sentence already does once the verb is right.

Incorrect: If someone calls, tell him I'm in the kiln room.

Correct: If someone calls, tell them I'm in the kiln room.

Him assumes a male caller. Them is the unmarked follow-up for someone when you do not know or do not want to specify gender.

They as an Anaphor, and Compounds with Else

Two points that sit just beyond the basic grid and cause most of the remaining errors.

They, them, their after a singular indefinite

A later they does not turn the indefinite into a plural. Keep the first verb singular and use they only for the second mention. Reflexives follow the same pattern: Everyone should help themselves is widely accepted; themself is also used after a clearly singular someone.

Nobody blamed themselves for the delay.: themselves after nobody, verb blamed stays past simple
Someone has locked themself in the darkroom.: themself after a clearly singular someone
Everybody brought their own mug.: their own is the natural possessive

Himself or herself after everyone is possible if you are talking about a known all-male or all-female group; it is not the generic form.

Else and or other

Else attaches to the pronoun and covers additional or different people, things, or places. You cannot combine else with other on the same pronoun (someone else other). For a noun rather than a pronoun, use another or other: another volunteer, not someone else volunteer.

Is anyone else waiting for the printer?: else after anyone in a question
Nothing else in the crate was damaged.: else after nothing, before a prepositional phrase
We'll have to store the frames somewhere else.: somewhere else as a place complement

Whoever, whatever, and wherever are a different set (free relatives and concessives) and do not take else.

Double negatives

English standard grammar allows only one negative marker in the clause. Choose nobody/nothing/nowhere with an affirmative verb, or not + anybody/anything/anywhere. Combining them (I didn't see nobody) is a double negative and is not standard.

I told no one about the shortlist.: no one, verb affirmative
I didn't tell anyone about the shortlist.: didn't plus anyone, same meaning
There was nowhere left to sit.: nowhere, not not anywhere needed

I didn't tell no one is the error to avoid; it is heard in some dialects but marked as non-standard in this grammar.

Quick Check: Indefinite Pronouns

Choose the indefinite pronoun that fits, and make the verb agree.

1. ___ has left a cello in the wings. (a person, affirmative)

Answer: Someone / Somebody

some- in an affirmative clause

2. I didn't hear ___ in the loft. (a thing, negative)

Answer: anything

any- after didn't

3. ___ was in their seat by nine. (the whole group)

Answer: Everybody / Everyone

was, not were; their is fine

4. Would you like ___ to drink before the talk? (offer)

Answer: something

some- in an offer question

5. There is ___ to park near the kiln. (no place)

Answer: nowhere

no- with there is, no extra not

Indefinite Pronouns FAQs

Is everybody singular or plural?: Singular for the verb, even though it means all the people in a group. Everybody is ready and Everyone has a badge are the standard forms. A later they or their does not change that first verb: Everybody has their badge, not Everybody have.
When do I use someone and when anyone?: Someone (and somebody, something, somewhere) belongs in affirmative sentences and in offers or requests that expect a yes: Someone called. Would you like something warm? Anyone (and anybody, anything, anywhere) belongs in open questions and after negatives: Has anyone called? I didn't see anything. Offers are the main exception to the question rule.
Can I say they after someone?: Yes, and in current English you usually should. Someone left their umbrella and If anyone asks, tell them I'm out are the unmarked patterns. He after someone now sounds as if you know the person is male, or as if the sentence was written to an older style guide.
What is the difference between nobody and anybody?: Nobody (and no one, nothing, nowhere) carries the negative meaning, so the verb stays affirmative: Nobody volunteered. Anybody needs another negative or a question: I didn't ask anybody. Did anybody volunteer? Do not combine them in standard English: I didn't ask nobody is a double negative.
Why is it something interesting and not interesting something?: Indefinite pronouns do not take adjectives in front of them. The modifier comes after: something interesting, someone new, nowhere quiet. Else works the same way: someone else, nothing else. This is the opposite of a normal noun phrase, where the adjective comes first (an interesting story).