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Grammar difficulties - singular or plural and indefinite pronouns
ScottsEnglish
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An indefinite pronoun does not refer to anyone specifically. For example, "Someone ate the ice cream that was in the freezer."
The subject of the sentence is "someone", meaning a person, but we do not know whom.
There is a series of indefinite pronouns that are commonly used:
Each word in the first column can go with each word in the second. For example, "everything, someone, nobody, anyone". They are written as one word except for "no one", which is written as two words. The pronouns ending with "body" or "one" are used interchangeably in a sentence: "Someone opened the door" means the same as "Somebody opened the door."
But, be careful, while "everyone, everybody", and "everything" express a plural idea, they are followed by a singular verb form. For example, "Everyone has the latest game console except me."
"Everything is in its place." "Is everybody safe after the storm?"
The reason is because all of the other indefinite pronouns are followed by the singular verb form.
The subject of the sentence is "someone", meaning a person, but we do not know whom.
There is a series of indefinite pronouns that are commonly used:
| every | one |
| some | body |
| any | thing |
| no |
Each word in the first column can go with each word in the second. For example, "everything, someone, nobody, anyone". They are written as one word except for "no one", which is written as two words. The pronouns ending with "body" or "one" are used interchangeably in a sentence: "Someone opened the door" means the same as "Somebody opened the door."
But, be careful, while "everyone, everybody", and "everything" express a plural idea, they are followed by a singular verb form. For example, "Everyone has the latest game console except me."
"Everything is in its place." "Is everybody safe after the storm?"
The reason is because all of the other indefinite pronouns are followed by the singular verb form.
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