Indefinite pronoun

An indefinite pronoun is a pronoun that refers to non-specific

beings, objects, or places.

Indefinite pronouns can represent either count nouns or noncount

nouns. They often have related forms across these categories:
universal (such as everyone, everything), assertive existential (such
as somebody, something), elective existential (such as anyone,
anything), and negative (such as nobody, nothing).[1]

Assertive existential pronouns differ from elective existential

pronouns in that they either themselves assert (that is, presuppose)
or are used in contexts that assert that the group to which the
pronoun refers has at least one member (or a non-zero quantity in
the case of noncount nouns). In contrast, the elective existential
pronouns do not assert such membership and are used in contexts
where membership is uncertain, and may be determined, or elected,
at a later point in the discourse.[2] Electives are also used when a
question of existence is being explicitly denied, which gives rise to
their frequent use in negative clauses.[3] In many contexts, assertive
and elective existential pronouns are largely in partial
complementary distribution or free variation, but there are contexts
where they contrast and the difference in their meanings can be
demonstrated clearly:

Bill’s lawyer failed to do anything that could have helped him.[3]

Bill’s lawyer failed to do something that could have helped him.

The latter implies that there was a specific thing that the lawyer
failed to do which could have helped Bill. On the other hand, the
former makes no presupposition on if there was anything the lawyer
could have done differently, only that he ultimately did not help Bill.
:
 Indefinite pronouns are associated with indefinite determiners
(sometimes called indefinite adjectives) of a similar (or identical)
form (such as every, any, all, some). A pronoun can be thought of as
replacing a noun phrase, while a determiner introduces a noun
phrase and precedes any adjectives that modify the noun. Thus all is
an indefinite determiner in "all good boys deserve favour" but a
pronoun in "all are happy".

List of English indefinite pronouns

Many of these words can function as other parts of speech too,
depending on context. For example, in many disagree with his views
the word "many" functions as an indefinite pronoun, while in many
people disagree with his views it functions as a quantifier (a type of
determiner) that qualifies the noun "people". Example sentences in
which the word functions as an indefinite pronoun are given.

Most indefinite pronouns are either singular or plural. However, some

of them can be singular in one context and plural in another. The
most common indefinite pronouns are listed below, with examples,
as singular, plural or singular/plural.

A singular pronoun takes a singular verb. Also, any personal pronoun

should also agree (in number and gender):

Each of the players has a doctor.

I met two girls. One has given me her phone number.

Similarly, plural pronouns need plural agreement:

Many have expressed their views.

Table of indefinite pronouns

:
 Number Type Negative Universal Assertive
existential

no one (also
no-one),
nobody – everyone, someone,
No everybody – somebody –
Person
one/Nobody Everyone/Everybody Someone/Somebody
thinks that had a cup of coffee. should fix that.
you are
mean.

Singular
nothing – everything – something –
Thing Nothing is Everything is Something makes
true. permitted. me want to dance.

[Universal
distributive:]

each – From
each according
to his ability, to
each according
to his need.

neither – In
the end, both – Both are
Dual
neither was guilty.
selected.

Plural

none –
:
 None of
some – Some of the
Singular those
all – All is lost. biscuits have been
or plural people is
eaten.
related to
me.[c]

1. Elective existential pronouns are often used with negatives (I

can't see anyone), while dubitative existential pronouns are used
in questions when there is doubt as to the existence of the
pronoun's assumed referent (Is anybody here a doctor?).
2. ^ a b Archaic forms are whosoever, whomsoever.
3. Some traditional style guides[who?] state that "none" should
always be treated as singular, but the plural sense is well
established and widely accepted. See, for example, a blog entry
by Michael Quinion or none in the Compact Oxford English
Dictionary.

List of quantifier pronouns

English has the following quantifier pronouns:

Uncountable (thus, with a singular verb form)

enough – Enough is enough.

little – Little is known about this period of history.
less – Less is known about this period of history.
much – Much was discussed at the meeting.
more (also countable, plural) – More is better.
most (also countable, plural) – Most was rotten. (Usually
specified, such as in most of the food.)
plenty – Thanks, that's plenty.

Countable, singular
:
 one – One has got through. (Often modified or specified, such
as in a single one, one of them, etc.)

Countable, plural

several – Several were chosen.

few – Few were chosen.
fewer – Fewer are going to church these days.
many – Many were chosen.
more (also uncountable) – More were ignored. (Often specified,
such as in more of us.)
most (also uncountable) – Most would agree.

Possessive forms

Some of the English indefinite pronouns above have possessive

forms. These are made as for nouns, by adding 's or just an
apostrophe following a plural -s (see English possessive).

The most commonly encountered possessive forms of the above

pronouns are:

one's, as in "One should mind one's own business."

those derived from the singular indefinite pronouns ending in -
one or -body: nobody's, someone's, etc. (Those ending -thing
can also form possessives, such as nothing's, but these are less
common.)
whoever's, as in "We used whoever's phone that is."
those derived from other and its variants: the other's, another's,
and the plural others': "We should not take others'
possessions."
either's, neither's

Most of these forms are identical to a form representing the pronoun

:
 plus -'s as a contraction of is or has. Hence someone's may also
mean someone is or someone has, as well as serving as a
possessive.

Compound indefinite pronouns

Two indefinite pronouns can sometimes be used in combination
together.

Examples: We should respect each other. People should love

one another.

And they can also be made possessive by adding an apostrophe and

s.

Examples: We should respect each other's beliefs. We were

checking each other's work.

See also
One (pronoun) – English language, gender-neutral, indefinite
pronoun
Generic you – Use of the pronoun you to refer to an unspecified
person
English personal pronouns
English grammar § Pronouns
Numeral (linguistics)

References
1. Quirk et al. 1985, pp. 376–377.
2. https://www.ultius.com/glossary/grammar/pronouns/indefinite-
pronoun.html
3. ^ a b https://awelu.srv.lu.se/grammar-and-words/selective-mini-
:
 grammar/pronouns/indefinite-pronouns/

Bibliography
Quirk, Randolph; Greenbaum, Sidney; Leech, Geoffrey; Svartvik,
Jan (1985). A Comprehensive Grammar of the English
Language. Harlow: Longman. pp. 376–392.
ISBN 9780582517349.
Haspelmath, Martin (1997). Indefinite pronouns. Oxford:
Clarendon.

External links
Look up indefinite pronoun in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Using Indefinite Pronouns

: