Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite Pronouns

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What are INDEFINITE PRONOUNS?

Indefinite pronouns are a helpful component of the English language. They replace nouns when too many nouns would become clunky or repetitive. As indefinite words, they don’t point to someone or something specific. Examples of singular indefinite pronouns include “someone,” “no one,” and “everyone.” Plural indefinite pronouns include words like “several,” “many,” and “others.”

Multiple Choice

What are Indefinite Pronouns?

• Words to talk about experiences

• Words to talk about someone or something without mentioning who or what specifically

• Types of phrases

• None of the above

Singular, Plural, or Both?

Singular Indefinite Pronouns

1. Words that end in -one, -body, or -thing

Ex. everyone, nobody, something, etc.

2. Either, Neither, Another, Much, Less, Each, Every

When choosing verbs and pronouns within sentences with singular indefinite pronouns, you must choose singular verbs and pronouns.

Example: Everyone should open his/her backback.

To ensure that you've selected the right verb, replace a singular indefinite pronoun with he or she.

Example: Everyone (is/are) going to the mall.

SHE is going to the mall.

Multiple Choice

Sooner or later, everyone must make _____ own decisions.

• his or her
• their

Plural Indefinite Pronouns

Both

Few

Fewer

Many

Others

Several

When choosing verbs and pronouns within sentences with plural indefinite pronouns, you must choose plural verbs and pronouns.

Example: Both boys have their jackets.

Multiple Choice

Many people brought ____ umbrellas to the park.

• his or her

• their

Singular or Plural Indefinite Pronouns

Some pronouns are either singular or plural depending on the nouns that follow them.

None

Some

More

Most

Any

All

Example: None of the pie IS missing.

None of the newspapers ARE missing.

Multiple Choice

Most of the book _____ interesting to me.

• is

• are

Multiple Choice

Before the test, anyone can look at ____ book.

• his or her
• their

Multiple Choice

Is there anybody who will donate _______________ time?

• his or her

• their

Multiple Choice

Several people canceled _______ subscriptions.

• his or her

• their

Multiple Choice

Many brought ____________ own lunches.

• his or her

• their

Multiple Choice

At the trial, each of the witnesses told _______ story.

• his or her

• their