Agreement with Indefinite Pronouns

An indefinite pronoun does not refer to a specific person, place, or thing. In English grammar, indefinite pronouns are divided into three groups: those that are always singular, those that are always plural, and those that can be either depending on the context.

1. Always Singular Indefinite Pronouns

The following indefinite pronouns are grammatically singular and always require a singular verb:

  • -body words: anybody, everybody, nobody, somebody
  • -one words: anyone, everyone, no one, someone, one
  • -thing words: anything, everything, nothing, something
  • Distributives: each, either, neither

Examples:

  • Everyone wants to be happy. (Not want).
  • Something is wrong here.
  • Each of the candidates has unique skills. (Not have).

2. Always Plural Indefinite Pronouns

The following indefinite pronouns refer to multiple items and always require a plural verb:

Words: both, few, many, several

  • Both of the options are excellent.
  • Many have tried, but few have succeeded.
  • Several students were absent today.

3. The SANAM Pronouns (Singular or Plural)

A group of indefinite pronouns can be singular or plural depending on the noun that follows them in an of-phrase (prepositional phrase). A handy acronym to remember them is SANAM:

SANAM = Some - Any - None - All - Most

Rule: If the noun in the of-phrase is uncountable, use a singular verb. If the noun is plural countable, use a plural verb.

Examples:

  • Some of the water is dirty. (Water is uncountable -> Singular verb).
  • Some of the apples are rotten. (Apples is plural countable -> Plural verb).
  • All of the money has been spent. (Money is uncountable -> Singular verb).
  • All of the workers have arrived. (Workers is plural countable -> Plural verb).
  • None of the information helps us.
  • None of the students were present. (Note: was is technically singular/formal, but were is extremely common in modern English).

Complete Sentence Examples

Here are more examples of SVA with indefinite pronouns:

  1. Nobody knows the answer.
  2. Either of the dates is fine with me.
  3. Both of my brothers live in New York.
  4. Most of the cake has disappeared.
  5. Most of the cookies have disappeared.
  6. No one was ready for the test.
  7. Several of the buildings were damaged.
  8. Each of the rooms comes with a television.

Next, we will explore Agreement with Collective Nouns to learn how groups like team and family function as subjects.