Indefinite Pronouns

LC 1.2 Students should be able to

identify and correctly use indefinite
pronouns
 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
 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 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.)
 Plural Indefinite Pronouns
• 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 or 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.)
 Can you find the indefinite
pronoun(s) in the sentence?
• I wanted to see them all.
• All
• She wanted to go to the movies to see
someone.
• Someone
• Something woke me up.
• Something
 Can you identify if these
indefinite pronouns are singular
or plural?
• There is something outside.
• Something= singular
• All of my friends are at the movies.
• All refers to friends, which is plural)
• Both of the roads are closed.
• Both= plural
• Can we see some of the movie?
• Some refers to movie which is singular
 Is the indefinite pronoun used
correctly?
• All of the people was watching the show.
• No
• I see someone in the house.
• Yes
• Most of the movie is over.
• Yes
• Is most of the people outside?
• No
• Both of the kids is riding bikes.
• no
 Remember
• 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)