Indefinite Pronouns in English: Usage Guide and Practice Exercises

Indefinite pronouns are frequently used in English and play a crucial role in both academic and everyday communication. This grammar point often appears in school exams and international English proficiency tests, especially the IELTS exam.

Let’s dive into what indefinite pronouns are, how to use them effectively, and practice with exercises to solidify your knowledge.

Indefinite pronouns refer to people, things, or amounts that are not specifically named. These pronouns often describe an unspecified or unknown subject or object. Common prefixes in indefinite pronouns include no-, every-, any-, and some-.

Common indefinite pronouns include: all, any, another, anybody, anyone, anything, everybody, everyone, everything, few, nobody, many, none, several, somebody, someone, etc.

Examples:

• Is there anything else that you’d like?

• Sometimes, I just need someone to talk to.

As the subject of a sentence:

• No one can disgrace us but ourselves.

• Everybody has some weak spots.

As the object of a sentence:

• Instead he found something quite extraordinary.

• Stay close together – I don’t want anyone to get lost.

After prepositions:

• His name’s Hiroshi, but everyone calls him Hiro.

• Never give up on anybody. Miracles happen every day.

Indefinite pronouns for people (singular):

• Everybody / Everyone: all people

• Someone / Somebody: one unspecified person

• Each: every single person

• Anyone / Anybody: any person

• Another: one more person

• No one / Nobody: no person

• The other: the remaining person

Example:

• The job would suit someone with a business background.

Indefinite pronouns for things (singular):

• Each: every item

• Nothing: not anything

• Everything: all things

• Something: one thing

• Anything: any one item

• Another: one more item

Example:

• Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.

Indefinite pronouns for people or things (dual):

• Both: two items or people

• Two others: two different ones

• Neither: not either

• Either: one or the other

• The other two: the remaining pair

Example:

• Both options are available.

• Two others have been released on bail.

Indefinite pronouns indicating quantity:

• All, Some, Any, None, Other, Enough, A little, Little, Less, Much, Many, Most

Example:

• Most of the students arrived early.

• Some of the cake was left.

Indefinite pronouns can sometimes cause confusion when it comes to subject-verb agreement or when used with adjectives or possessive forms. Below are some essential usage rules:

As the subject → use singular verb

• No one is perfect all the time.

• Everybody was enjoying the event.

Followed by adjectives

• Is there anything interesting in that box?

• Anyone want to join me for a walk?

Possessive forms

• He was working like nobody’s business.

• The law protects everyone’s rights.

Used in negative sentences

• I don’t have anything to do → I have nothing to do.

• I don’t have anything to wear → I have nothing to wear.

Without nouns

• Much of the world is covered in water.

• There was silent agreement from most in the room.

Exercise 1: Choose the correct indefinite pronoun

1. She would like (anything / something) to eat.

2. My father knows (nothing / something) about it.

3. He hasn’t got (something / anything) to do.

4. We sold (everything / anything) in the sales.

5. The girl didn’t say (nothing / anything).

6. Is there (something / anything) amusing on an iPhone?

7. Our dog must be (somewhere / anywhere).

8. There was a flood (somewhere / anywhere) in Hanoi.

9. My mother would like to buy (anything / something) for my dad.

10. My doctor did (everything / somebody) to save me.

Exercise 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct pronoun

1. I went shopping yesterday but I couldn’t find anything that I liked. a) nothing b) ✅ anything c) everywhere

2. Thomas ate everything in his lunch bag except the carrot. a) ✅ everything b) anything c) somebody

3. Excuse me, waiter. There’s something in my soup. I think it’s a fly. a) ✅ something b) anywhere c) everywhere

4. I didn’t go anywhere on my holiday. I was so bored! a) nowhere b) somewhere c) ✅ anywhere

5. My friend thinks intelligent aliens may exist somewhere in the universe. a) anyone b) something c) ✅ somewhere

Master Indefinite Pronouns with IDP IELTS Preparation

Understanding indefinite pronouns and their correct usage is a key step to achieving a high score in your IELTS Writing and Speaking tasks. IDP offers free IELTS resources including expert-led webinars and personalized course recommendations.

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