Indefinite Pronouns

By Tatjana Lipovac

Indefinite Pronouns

By Tatjana Lipovac

What is an indefinite pronoun?What is an indefinite pronoun?

They are words that replace nouns without specifying which noun they replace (remember -

a noun is a person, place, or thing)Ex: another, everybody, everyone, everything, each, either, somebody, someone, something,

both, few, many, all, most, none

They are words that replace nouns without specifying which noun they replace (remember -

a noun is a person, place, or thing)Ex: another, everybody, everyone, everything, each, either, somebody, someone, something,

both, few, many, all, most, none

Indefinite pronouns can be singular or plural

Indefinite pronouns can be singular or plural

• Singular: another, everybody, everyone, everything, each, either, somebody, someone, something

• Plural: both, few, many, others, several• Singular or plural: all, any, more, most,

some

• Singular: another, everybody, everyone, everything, each, either, somebody, someone, something

• Plural: both, few, many, others, several• Singular or plural: all, any, more, most,

some

Singular Indefinite PronounsSingular Indefinite Pronouns

• Singular indefinite pronouns take singular verbs or singular personal pronouns.

• Correct: Each of the members has one vote. • (The subject, each, is singular. Use has.)

• Incorrect: One of the girls gave up their seat.

• Correct: One of the girls gave up her seat. • (Her refers to one, which is singular.)

• Singular indefinite pronouns take singular verbs or singular personal pronouns.

• Correct: Each of the members has one vote. • (The subject, each, is singular. Use has.)

• Incorrect: One of the girls gave up their seat.

• Correct: One of the girls gave up her seat. • (Her refers to one, which is singular.)

Plural Indefinite PronounsPlural Indefinite PronounsPlural indefinite pronouns take plural verbs or plural personal

pronouns.

Correct: A few of the justices were voicing their opposition.

(Few is plural, so are were and their.)

Incorrect: Both of the men was going to work.

(Both is plural, but was is not.)

Plural indefinite pronouns take plural verbs or plural personal

pronouns.

Correct: A few of the justices were voicing their opposition.

(Few is plural, so are were and their.)

Incorrect: Both of the men was going to work.

(Both is plural, but was is not.)

Singular/plural indefinite pronouns

Singular/plural indefinite pronouns

• For indefinite pronouns that can be singular or plural, it depends on what the indefinite pronoun refers to.

• Correct: All of the people clapped their hands.

• (All refers to people, which is plural.)

• Correct: All of the newspaper was soaked. • (Here all refers to newspaper, which is singular.)

• For indefinite pronouns that can be singular or plural, it depends on what the indefinite pronoun refers to.

• Correct: All of the people clapped their hands.

• (All refers to people, which is plural.)

• Correct: All of the newspaper was soaked. • (Here all refers to newspaper, which is singular.)

Can you find the indefinite pronoun(s) in the sentence?Can you find the indefinite

pronoun(s) in the sentence?I wanted to see them all.

She wanted to go to the party to see someone.

Something woke me up.

I wanted to see them all.

She wanted to go to the party to see someone.

Something woke me up.

Can you identify if these indefinite pronouns are singular

or plural?

Can you identify if these indefinite pronouns are singular

or plural?• There is something outside.• All of my friends are at the cinema.• Both of the roads are closed.• Can we see some of the film?

• There is something outside.• All of my friends are at the cinema.• Both of the roads are closed.• Can we see some of the film?

RememberRemember

Indefinite pronouns are words that replace nouns,

but are not specific.They can be singular or plural, depending on

what they are referring to (singular- one noun; plural- more then one noun)

Indefinite pronouns and their verbs must agree (plural indefinite pronoun= plural verb and singular indefinite pronoun = singular verb)

Indefinite pronouns are words that replace nouns,

but are not specific.They can be singular or plural, depending on

what they are referring to (singular- one noun; plural- more then one noun)

Indefinite pronouns and their verbs must agree (plural indefinite pronoun= plural verb and singular indefinite pronoun = singular verb)