Indefinite Pronouns | Basic Grammar for IELTS PDF Download

What is an Indefinite Pronoun?

Indefinite pronouns, as the name suggests, are pronouns without a specific reference. In other words, they do not specifically refer to any particular noun. They can be singular or plural and must agree in number with the verb. Indefinite pronouns are categorized into two main groups:

• Pronouns that refer to something like a nonspecific noun belong to the first group.
• The second group consists of indefinite pronouns that refer to a specific noun whose meaning becomes clear from the context or the sentences that follow.

An indefinite pronoun is a word that refers to unspecified entities, things, or situations. Depending on the context, indefinite pronouns can also function as other parts of speech. Most indefinite pronouns can be singular or plural. Some of them, however, may be singular in one situation and plural in another

Types of Indefinite Pronouns

(a) Singular Indefinite Pronouns

(b) Indefinite pronouns ending in words like body, things, etc. are considered singular as they refer to each individual within a group.

• Plural Indefinite Pronouns
• Plural indefinite pronouns act as substitutes for non-definite or specific nouns.

List of Singular and Plural Indefinite Pronouns

Example of Indefinite Pronoun:

• Anything is achievable if you put in your best effort.
• Anything
• Everyone is expected to be present at my uncle's wedding.
• Everyone
• Every player is striving to win the race.
• Every
• A number of people gathered near the house.
• A number of
• Is there someone who can solve this problem?
• someone
• Would you like to have something to eat?
• something
• Both of us were prepared for the dinner.
• Both
• We should strive to be independent and not rely on others.
• others
• Many individuals are opposed to the new policies.
• Many
• Every single thing possesses its own beauty.
• Every single thing

How to Use an Indefinite Pronoun?

• Using indefinite pronouns may seem straightforward, but selecting the right one for a sentence depends on the intended message.
• When using singular indefinite pronouns, remember that they take singular verbs, while plural indefinite pronouns take plural verbs.

Common Errors with Indefinite Pronouns:

• Recognizing indefinite pronouns helps in matching them with the correct verb in a sentence, known as pronoun-verb agreement.
• For proper grammar, a singular indefinite pronoun should be paired with a singular verb, and a plural indefinite pronoun should be paired with a plural verb.
• Pronouns and verbs in a sentence must agree in number, either being both singular or both plural.

When to Use an Indefinite Pronoun?

Indefinite pronouns are commonly used to describe individuals or objects without specifying exactly who they are. When it comes to individuals, we use pronouns ending in 'body' or 'one', while for objects, pronouns ending in 'thing' are used.

• We use pronouns with 'no' in negated sentences, not pronouns with 'any'.
• If a sentence contains 'nobody', 'no one', or 'nothing', we do not use any further negations.
• A possessive pronoun can be formed by adding 's' to an indefinite pronoun.

Indefinite Pronoun - Practice Questions:

Question 1: Choose the correct option from the following sentences.

1. ______ was on the bus.

• a. Nobody
• b. Something
• c. Anything
• d. Everything

2. ______ is pollution.

• a. Everything
• b. Several
• c. Both
• d. Everywhere

3. I want to gift you _____ special.

• a. Nobody
• b. Something
• c. Many
• d. None

4. You can find ______ in this shop.

• a. Everything
• b. Each
• c. Nobody
• d. Several

5. _____ of us like healthy food.

• a. Other
• b. Many
• c. Everywhere
• d. Something

Answers:

• Nobody was on the bus.
• Everywhere is pollution.
• I want to gift you something special.
• You can find everything in this shop.
• Many of us like healthy food.