Indefinite Pronouns: Someone, Anyone, Nobody, Everywhere — English Grammar Exercises — English Grammar Exercises
Someone left something somewhere — but nobody knows anything. Master the full some-/any-/no-/every- system in 45 questions across 3 practice blocks.
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The system
Indefinite pronouns combine some / any / no / every with -one / -body / -thing / -where.
| People | Things | Places | |
|---|---|---|---|
| some- | someone, somebody | something | somewhere |
| any- | anyone, anybody | anything | anywhere |
| no- | no one, nobody | nothing | nowhere |
| every- | everyone, everybody | everything | everywhere |
some- vs any-
- some- in positive statements: Someone called you.
- any- in negatives and questions: I didn't see anyone. Is anyone there?
- some- in offers and requests: Would you like something to eat?
- any- = "it doesn't matter which": Anyone can do it. Sit anywhere.
No double negative
English uses only one negative word. After don't / doesn't / won't, use any-:
✅ I don't know anything. ❌ I don't know nothing.
With nobody / nothing / nowhere, the verb stays positive: ✅ Nobody came.
Verb agreement — singular
everyone, everybody, someone, nobody take a singular verb:
✅ Everyone is here.
✅ Nobody knows.
✅ Everybody has a ticket.
The adjective goes after
An adjective comes after the pronoun: something nice, someone special, nothing new. Add else for "other": someone else, somewhere else.
Common mistakes
| ❌ | ✅ |
|---|---|
| I don't know nobody. | I don't know anybody. |
| Everyone are happy. | Everyone is happy. |
| I want interesting something. | I want something interesting. |
| Nobody didn't come. | Nobody came. |
-
I can hear ___ knocking at the front door.
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someone
Use 'some-' in a positive statement — 'someone is knocking'.
-
Ouch! There's ___ in my eye.
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something
Use 'some-' in a positive statement — 'something is in my eye'.
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Is there ___ to eat in the fridge?
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anything
Use 'any-' in a neutral question — 'Is there anything?'
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I phoned the office, but ___ answered.
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nobody
'Nobody' means 'not any person' — and the verb stays positive ('answered').
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I've looked ___ for my keys and still can't find them.
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everywhere
'Everywhere' means 'in all places'.
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___ enjoyed the concert last night.
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Everyone
Use 'everyone' for a positive statement about all the people.
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The fridge is completely empty — there's ___ to eat.
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nothing
'Nothing' means 'not anything' — and the verb stays positive ('there's').
-
I think ___ left a message for you while you were out.
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someone
Use 'some-' in a positive statement.
-
She didn't tell ___ about the surprise.
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anyone
After a negative verb ('didn't tell'), use 'any-'.
-
Let's go ___ for dinner tonight.
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somewhere nice
The adjective comes after the indefinite pronoun — 'somewhere nice'.
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I read ___ in the newspaper today.
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something interesting
The adjective comes after the indefinite pronoun — 'something interesting'.
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If Tom can't help you, ask ___.
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someone else
Add 'else' after the pronoun for 'a different person' — 'someone else'.
Indefinite Pronouns in English: A Complete Reference
English compound indefinite pronouns — someone, anybody, nothing, everywhere and their relatives — form a tightly structured system built from four prefixes (some-, any-, no-, every-) combined with three suffixes (-one/-body, -thing, -where). The result is a grid of twelve core pronouns that learners at B1–B2 level must control simultaneously for meaning, negation, verb agreement, and word order. Data from the Cambridge Learner Corpus shows that indefinite pronoun errors rank among the top ten most frequent grammar mistakes at B1–B2, with double negation ('I don't know nobody') and wrong some-/any- choice ('Would you like anything?') as the two dominant error types. A large-scale analysis of learner writing found that over 40% of 'no-' compound uses at B1 level involve an illegal double negation. These 45 questions across 3 practice blocks address every fault line in the system.
The Sixteen-Cell Paradigm
The indefinite pronoun system is best learned as a grid. Each prefix carries a meaning; each suffix specifies the category of reference:
| People (-one/-body) | Things (-thing) | Places (-where) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| some- | someone / somebody | something | somewhere |
| any- | anyone / anybody | anything | anywhere |
| no- | no one / nobody | nothing | nowhere |
| every- | everyone / everybody | everything | everywhere |
The -one and -body forms within each row are interchangeable: someone = somebody, anyone = anybody, and so on. Choosing between them is a matter of register and rhythm, not grammar.
Some- vs Any-: The Core Distribution Rule
Some- compounds appear in positive statements and in offers and polite requests:
There's something in my eye. (positive statement — unknown thing)
Would you like something to eat? (offer — expecting 'yes')
Could someone help me? (polite request)
Any- compounds appear in questions, negative sentences, and positive sentences meaning 'it doesn't matter who/what':
I couldn't find anything. (negative — 'couldn't')
Anyone can apply. (positive — no restrictions, it doesn't matter who)
No- Compounds and the Double Negation Rule
No- compounds (nobody, nothing, nowhere, no one) already carry negation. Standard English therefore requires a positive verb when a no- pronoun is the subject or object:
There's nothing we can do. (positive verb 'is' + negative pronoun 'nothing')
The keys are nowhere to be found.
Double negation — combining a negative verb with a no- pronoun — is ungrammatical in standard English and one of the most frequent B1–B2 errors:
✗ She didn't go nowhere. → ✓ She didn't go anywhere. OR ✓ She went nowhere.
✗ We couldn't find nothing useful. → ✓ We couldn't find anything useful.
Every- Compounds and Verb Agreement
Every- compounds (everyone, everybody, everything, everywhere) always take a singular verb, despite referring to many people or things. This surprises learners whose L1 treats collective subjects as plural:
Everything has been arranged. (not: 'have')
Everybody was surprised. (not: 'were')
The same singular agreement rule applies across the entire paradigm — someone, nobody, anything, and all other compounds also take singular verbs:
Somebody has left their umbrella in the office.
Does anyone know who it belongs to? (base form after 'does')
For the possessive pronoun referring back to everyone or somebody, modern English uses their (singular they):
Somebody left their phone on the table.
Adjectives Go After Indefinite Pronouns
Unlike most English noun phrases where adjectives precede the noun (a beautiful place), adjectives — including else — always follow indefinite pronouns:
somewhere nice (not: 'nice somewhere')
anything interesting
nothing new in today's report
anything else — 'else' always follows the pronoun too
No One vs None Of
No one (= nobody) stands alone and refers to people in general. It cannot be followed by of. None of precedes a specific group with a determiner and can refer to people or things:
None of the students passed the test. (specific group — 'none of + the + noun')
None of the answers were correct.
Common Mistakes
✗ Is there someone wrong with your phone? → ✓ Is there something wrong? (things, not people)
✗ I didn't tell someone about the surprise. → ✓ I didn't tell anyone. (negative → any-)
✗ I don't know nobody at this party. → ✓ I don't know anybody. (double negation)
✗ Everyone were surprised. → ✓ Everyone was surprised. (singular verb)
✗ Everybody have finished. → ✓ Everybody has finished. (singular verb)
✗ I want to buy beautiful something. → ✓ I want to buy something beautiful. (adjective after pronoun)
✗ There's new nothing in today's report. → ✓ There's nothing new. (adjective after pronoun)
✗ No one of the applicants was qualified. → ✓ None of the applicants was qualified.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do I use 'someone' vs 'anyone' in English?
Use 'someone/somebody/something/somewhere' in positive statements ('Someone called you') and in offers and polite requests ('Would you like something to eat?', 'Could someone help me?'). Use 'anyone/anybody/anything/anywhere' in questions ('Have you told anyone?'), in negative sentences ('I didn't see anything'), and in positive sentences meaning 'it doesn't matter who/what' ('Anyone can apply'). The pattern mirrors the some/any rule for nouns.
What is double negation and why is it wrong in English?
Double negation means using two negative words in one clause, such as 'I don't know nobody' or 'She didn't go nowhere'. Standard English requires a single negative per clause. The fix is to use either a negative verb with an 'any-' pronoun ('I don't know anybody / I didn't go anywhere') OR a positive verb with a 'no-' pronoun ('I know nobody / She went nowhere'). Never combine both.
Do 'everyone', 'somebody' and 'nothing' take a singular or plural verb?
All compound indefinite pronouns — everyone/everybody, someone/somebody, no one/nobody, anyone/anybody, everything, something, nothing, anything — take a singular verb, even though some refer to many people. Say 'Everyone is ready' (not 'are'), 'Nobody wants to leave' (not 'want'), 'Everything has been arranged' (not 'have'). For the possessive pronoun referring back to 'everyone', modern English uses 'their': 'Everyone should bring their own laptop.'
What is the difference between 'no one' and 'none of'?
'No one' (also written 'nobody') stands alone and refers to people in general: 'No one answered the door.' It cannot be followed by 'of'. 'None of' is used before a specific group (with a determiner): 'None of the students passed.' 'None of the answers were correct.' The form 'no one of the students' is incorrect — use 'none of the students' instead.
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