1. Indefinite Pronouns
By Tatjana Lipovac

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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.)

5. 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.)

6. 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.)

7. 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.

8. 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?

9. 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)

10. 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)