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Guide to Indefinite Pronouns – TOEIC® Preparation

Flow Exam team

In English, indefinite pronouns refer to words used to substitute or evoke individuals, elements, or quantities in a general and imprecise way.

These pronouns usually express a quantity, a group of people, or entities without identifying them exactly.

For illustration, in the sentence ": Someone is at the door," the indefinite pronoun someone substitutes for a person whose identity remains unknown.

  • Somebody called me last night, but they didn't leave a message. (Someone called me last night, but left no message.)
  • Nothing is impossible if you work hard. (Nothing is unachievable when you put in the effort.)

1. Categorization of Indefinite Pronouns

English has different families of indefinite pronouns. Here are the most important ones:

  1. Indefinite pronouns formed with compound suffixes:
    • some- : someone, somebody, something
    • any- : anyone, anybody, anything
    • no- : no one, nobody, nothing
    • every- : everyone, everybody, everything
  2. Indefinite pronouns expressing a quantity
    • some, any, no, none, all, most, many, few, several, etc.
  3. Other associated indefinite pronouns and adverbs
    • somewhere, anywhere, nowhere, everywhere (refer to an indeterminate place)

2. Indefinite Pronouns Constructed with some-, any-, no- and every-

A. The indefinite pronouns somebody, someone, something

  • Somebody and someone are perfect synonyms. They are used to refer to an unidentified person or one chosen not to be specified.
    • Somebody is knocking at the door. (Someone is knocking at the door.)
    • I need someone to help me with this computer problem. (I need someone to solve this computer problem.)
  • Something refers to an object or a thing that cannot (or is not wished to) be precisely identified.
    • There is something in my eye. (I have something in my eye.)

B. The indefinite pronouns anybody, anyone, anything

  • Anybody and anyone are also interchangeable. They are mainly found in questions and negative sentences, or to mean "any person" in an affirmative context.
    • Is there anybody who can drive me to the airport? (Can anyone drive me to the airport?)
    • I can't see anyone in the room. (I cannot see anyone in the room.)
    • Anybody can learn to cook if they practice. (Anyone can learn to cook with practice.)
  • Anything evokes "any object" or designates an indefinite thing in a question or a negation.
    • I don't want anything right now, thank you. (I don't want anything right now, thank you.)
    • Did you buy anything special at the store? (Did you buy anything special at the store?)

C. The indefinite pronouns nobody, no one, nothing

  • Nobody and no one translate "personne" (nobody/no one) (no one is spelled as two separate words, never noone.)
    • Nobody knows the answer to this question. (Nobody knows the answer to this question.)
    • No one called while you were out. (No one called while you were out.)
  • Nothing expresses "rien" (nothing).
    • There is nothing to do in this town at night. (There is nothing to do in this town at night.)
    • I have nothing more to say. (I have nothing more to say.)

D. The indefinite pronouns everybody, everyone, everything

  • Everybody and everyone correspond to "tout le monde" (everybody/everyone).
    • Everybody is happy about the news. (Everybody is happy about the news.)
    • Everyone wants to be successful. (Everyone aspires to succeed.)
  • Everything means "tout" (everything) or "l'ensemble des choses" (the whole set of things).
    • Everything is ready for the trip. (Everything is ready for the trip.)
    • He lost everything in the fire. (He lost everything in the fire.)

E. Grammatical Peculiarity of these Indefinite Pronouns

Although terms like everyone, everybody, anybody, nobody... evoke a group of people (or objects, things, etc.), they agree with a verb conjugated in the singular:

  • Everyone is invited to the party. (and not Everyone are)
  • Everyone is ready. (and not Everyone are ready.)
  • Nobody knows what happened.
  • Somebody has left the door open.

3. Indefinite Pronouns Expressing Quantity

These pronouns refer to an imprecise quantity or an indeterminate number of individuals or elements.

A. The indefinite pronouns some, any, no, none

  • Some appears in affirmative sentences and in questions where an affirmative answer is anticipated.
    • I have some ideas to improve the project. (I have some suggestions to improve the project.)
    • Would you like some cake? (Would you like some cake?) (a positive answer is generally expected)
  • Any: Is found in questions and negations, or to express "any one/any person" in an affirmation.
    • Do you have any questions? (Do you have any questions?)
    • I don't have any money left. (I have no money left.)
    • Any student can participate in the contest. (Any student can enter the contest.)
  • No: Used essentially to construct affirmative sentences with a negative meaning (replaces not any).
    • I have no time to waste. (I have no time to waste.)
    • There is no reason to worry. (There is no reason to worry.)
  • None: Translates "aucun(e)" (none/not a single one), and is used autonomously.
    • I asked for more details, but none were provided. (I requested more details, but none were given to me.)
    • None of the students has finished the test yet. (None of the students has finished the test yet.)

B. The indefinite pronouns all, most, many, few, several

  • All: Is equivalent to "tout" (all/everything), "tous" (all - masculine plural), "toutes" (all - feminine plural).
    • All of the apples are ripe. (All of the apples are ripe.)
    • All is well that ends well. (All is well that ends well.)
  • Most: Corresponds to "la majorité" (the majority) or "la plupart" (most).
    • Most people prefer coffee in the morning. (The majority of people prefer coffee in the morning.)
  • Many: Designates a high number of people or elements (countable).
    • Many students find English grammar challenging. (Many students find English grammar challenging.)
  • Few: Expresses "peu" (few) (countable).
    • Few people attended the lecture. (Few people attended the lecture.)
  • Several: Translates "plusieurs" (several).
    • Several friends came to visit me yesterday. (Several friends came to visit me yesterday.)

C. Indefinite Pronouns Formed with where (Indeterminate Place)

Although frequently classified as adverbs of place, these expressions function as indefinite forms:

  • Somewhere: Equivalent to "quelque part" (somewhere) (affirmative or neutral context).
    • I think I left my keys somewhere in the house. (I think I left my keys somewhere in the house.)
  • Anywhere: Means "n'importe où" (anywhere) (question or negation), or evokes an open possibility.
    • I can't find my phone anywhere. (I can't find my phone anywhere.)
    • You can go anywhere you want for the holidays. (You can go anywhere you want for the holidays.)
  • Nowhere: Corresponds to "nulle part" (nowhere).
    • There is nowhere to park in this area. (There is nowhere to park in this area.)
  • Everywhere: Translates "partout" (everywhere).
    • I've looked everywhere for my wallet. (I've looked everywhere for my wallet.)

4. Agreement Rules and Usage Principles

  1. Pronouns such as everyone, somebody, nobody, etc. agree with a verb conjugated in the singular.
    • Everyone is ready. (and not Everyone are ready.)
    • Somebody has left the door open.
  2. "They" as a neutral pronoun: when using someone, anyone, nobody, etc. and one wishes to avoid specifying gender (masculine or feminine), one can refer back to these singular pronouns using they / them / their.
    • Someone left their umbrella in my car. (Someone left their umbrella in my car.)
    • If anybody calls, tell them I'll call back. (If anyone calls, tell them I'll call back.)
  3. Beware of double negation: in English, one avoids stacking two negatives. One never writes I don't have nothing, but rather:
    • I don't have anything. (or)
    • I have nothing.

Conclusion

Indefinite pronouns are essential linguistic tools for expressing concepts without precisely identifying the individual, object, or quantity concerned. They simplify communication when speaking in a general way or when lacking specific information. Mastering the correct choice of indefinite pronoun allows you to increase the precision of your expression and avoid unnecessary redundancy.

To succeed in the TOEIC®, understanding these pronouns is crucial, as they appear regularly in Parts 5 and 6 (grammar and fill-in-the-blanks texts) as well as in the reading comprehension sections.

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