Someone, Anyone, Everyone, and No One: Indefinite Pronouns Made Simple

Indefinite pronouns help us talk about people or things when their exact identity is unknown, unimportant or general.

Some- forms

someone/somebody, something, somewhere are common in positive statements: Someone left a message. They also appear in offers and requests when the speaker expects a positive answer: Would you like something to drink?

Any- forms

anyone, anything, anywhere are common in questions and negatives: Did anyone call? I didn’t see anything. In positive statements, anyone can mean “it does not matter who”: Anyone can apply.

Every- forms

everyone/everybody, everything, everywhere include all members of the group. Grammatically, everyone is singular: Everyone is ready.

No- forms

no one/nobody, nothing, nowhere already contain a negative meaning, so standard English does not normally add another negative: Nobody called. Not Nobody didn’t call.

-one and -body

For people, the meanings are usually the same: someone/somebody. -one can sound slightly more neutral in some contexts, but both are standard.

Pronouns after everyone and someone

Modern English commonly uses singular they: Someone left their umbrella. This is natural and widely accepted.

Practice

Choose: Is ___ available to help? / I need ___ to write with. / ___ in the class received the same instructions.

Possible answers: anyone; something; everyone.