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Indefinite Pronouns
Indefinite pronouns
replace specific things with general, non-specific
concepts. For example:
- I want to live abroad in Italy.
- I want to live abroad somewhere.
This unit covers indefinite pronouns made with
some, any, no, and every.
Some / any
Some and any
can be combined with "-thing" to refer
to an undefined object. For example:
- There's someone outside the door.
- There isn't anyone in the office.
Some and any
can be combined with "-where" to refer
to an undefined location. For example:
- I'm looking for somewhere to live.
- We don't want to live anywhere near here.
Some and any
can be combined with "-body" or "-one"
to refer to an undefined person. There is very
little difference in meaning between "-body"
and "-one". For example:
- If you have a problem, someone/somebody will
help you.
- Do you know anyone/anybody who can help?
These compound nouns
follow the same rules as some and any,
that is some is used in affirmative statements,
and any is used in negative statements
and questions. For example:
- I need something from the supermarket.
- I don't need anything from the supermarket.
- Do you need anything from the supermarket?
No
No can be
combined with various nouns to mean an absence
of something. For example:
- "Did you find your wallet? No, there's
nothing here."
- "Did anything happen?" "No,
nothing happened."
- This job is going
nowhere. (It's not getting better.)
- Nowhere is as good as here. (I like
here the best.)
- Is anybody here?
No, there's nobody here.
- I waited for an hour but nobody came.
Sometimes words with
no- can have more emphasis than words
with any. For example:
- I didn't tell anyone what happened.
- I told nobody what happened.
Every
Every can
be used to mean a group or total of individual
things. For example:
- Everything in this house is simple
and useful.
- Jane was sick last night, but everything
is OK now.
- Everyone
was at Michael's birthday party last night.
- Baseball caps come
from America, but people wear them everywhere.
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