A Little Girl's Diary

Pronouns: indefinite (-body, -one, -thing, -where)

Somebody, anyone, everything, etc. are indefinite pronouns (不定代名詞).

We use -body, -one, -thing, -where to refer to people, places and things in a general way.We write them as one single word, apart from no one, which can be written as two separate words or with a hyphen(連字號) (no-one).

The differences in their meanings are the same as the differences between some, any, every and no. We use them all with a singular verb:

1. Is anyone helping Claire with the washing up?
2. Everybody makes mistakes.
3. I’m looking for somewhere I can store my bike.

• -body and -one

-body and -one mean the same thing. In informal contexts, we use indefinite pronouns ending in -body more often than pronouns ending in -one. The forms with -one are more common in formal writing:

1. Nobody was interested in the talk. (or No one was…)
2. Everyone started to clap. (or Everybody …)

• someone (pronoun) (also somebody):

  used to refer to a single person when you do not know who they are or when it is not important who they are:

1. There's someone outside the house.
2. Someone must have seen what happened.
3. Eventually someone in the audience spoke.
4. You'll have to ask someone else.
5. We'll need a software engineer or someone (= a person with skill of or like the stated type) on the project team.

• Note: Someone is not usually used in negatives and questions.

• something(pronoun)

    an object, situation, quality, or action that is not exactly known or stated:

1.     There's something sharp in my shoe.
2.     Something in the cupboard smells odd.
3.     We thought there was something wrong because we hadn't heard from you.
4.     There's something wrong with the engine - it's making strange noises.
5.     Something's happened to upset him but we don't know what it is.
6.     I heard something rather worrying at work this morning.
7.     Is there something you'd like to say?
8.     Don't just stand there, do something.
9.     There's just something odd about him.

• Note: Something is not usually used in negatives and questions.

• somewhere(adverb)(PLACE) (US also someplace)

  in or at a place having a position that is not stated or not known:

1.     He was last heard of living somewhere on the south coast.
2.     You must have put their letter somewhere!
3.     [+ to infinitive] I'm looking for somewhere to eat/stay.
4.     Can we go somewhere else to talk - it's very noisy here.
5.     Wouldn't you like to go to Disneyland or somewhere (= or to a similar place)?

• Note: Somewhere is not usually used in negatives and questions.

• anyone (pronoun)(also anybody)

  used in questions and negatives to mean "a person or people":

1.     I haven't spoken to anyone all day.
2.     I haven't told anyone.
3.     Was there anyone you knew at the meeting?
4.     Has anyone seen my glasses anywhere?

    any person or any people:

1.     Anyone can go - you don't have to be invited.
2.     Anyone could dress well with all that money.

• anything (pronoun)(SOMETHING)

    used in questions and negatives to mean 'something':

1.     Is there anything I can do to help?
2.     Was there anything else you wanted to say or is that it?
3.     Do you have anything less expensive?
4.     Let me know if anything happens, won't you.
5.     I didn't know anything about computers till I started this job.
6. I was looking for a birthday present for my mother but I didn't find anything    suitable.
7. Did you notice anything strange about him?
8. Spending Christmas with him and his brother - I can't imagine anything worse!
9. If he eats anything with wheat in it he's very sick.
10. "What did you do at the weekend?" "I don't think we did anything much."
11. any event, act, object, or situation: (ANY OBJECT/SITUATION)
12. He said I could order anything on the menu.
13. She could be anything (= any age) between 30 and 40.

• anywhere(adverb) (US also anyplace)

    in, to, or at any place:

1.     You won't find a better plumber anywhere in England.
2.     Go anywhere in the world and you'll find some sort of hamburger restaurant.
3.     I was wondering if there was anywhere I could go to get this mended.
4. There are quite a few words that they use in that part of the country that you don't hear anywhere else.
5. They live in some tiny little village miles from anywhere (= a very long way from any towns).

• no one(pronoun)(also nobody)

    no person:

1.     At first I thought there was no one in the room.
2.     "Who was that on the phone?" "No one you would know."
3.     I'd like to go to the concert but no one else (= no other person) wants to.
4.     No one told me she was ill.

• nothing(pronoun)

    not anything:

1.     There's nothing in the drawer - I took everything out.
2.     Nothing I could say would cheer her up.
3.     I have nothing new to tell you.
4.     There's nothing else (= no other thing) we can do to help.
5.     There's nothing much (= not very much) to do in our village.
6.     The story was nothing but (= only) lies.
7.     US The score is Yankees three, Red Sox nothing (= no points).

• nowhere(adverb)

    in, at, or to no place; not anywhere:

1.     These young people have nowhere (else) to go.
2.     Nowhere does the article mention the names of the people involved.

• everyone(pronoun)(also everybody)

  every person:

1. Would everyone who wishes to attend the dinner let me know by Friday afternoon?
2. Everyone has their own ideas about the best way to bring up children.
3. I've received replies from everybody but Jane.
4. Do you agree with the principle that everyone should pay something towards the cost of health care?
5. Everyone knows who stole it, but they're all afraid to tell anyone.
6. Everyone involved in the accident has been questioned by the police.
7. Goodbye, everybody - I'll see you next week.
8. I'm sorry, but you'll just have to wait your turn like everybody else.

• everything(pronoun)

    all things:

1. You can't blame him for everything.
2. He's obsessed with Kylie Minogue and collects anything and everything connected with her.
3. Jane's been unfaithful to Jim three times, but he still loves her in spite of everything.
4. Money isn't everything (= the most important thing).
5. His children are everything to him (= the most important part of his life).
6. Have you been crying? Is everything all right?
7. The thieves took everything.
8. We did everything we could to save her but she died.
9. We shall do everything necessary to bring the murderer to justice.
10. They're very busy with their new house and everything (= all the things connected with it).

• everywhere(adverb)(US informal everyplace)

    to, at, or in all places or the whole of a place:

1. His children go everywhere with him.
2. Everywhere looks so grey and depressing in winter.
3. I looked everywhere for my keys.
4. Reasonable people everywhere will be outraged by this atrocity.
5. We had to stay in the sleaziest hotel in town as everywhere else (= all other places) was fully booked.