indefinite pronouns

B1 4C

03 Indefinite pronouns

exercise 1

exercise 2

exercise 3

Words like 'something', 'everywhere', 'anybody' and 'no-one' are indefinite pronouns. We use them for people, things and places.

*We can use anybody or anyone - the meaning is the same. It's also true for someone, no-one and everyone.

Indefinite Pronouns : The indefinite pronouns point out objects less clearly or definitely than demonstratives do. Examples : each, every, either, both, neither, some, any, such, none, other, another, each other, one another.

1. Each has its merits. 2. Some are missing. 3. I cannot give you any. 4. Either is correct. 5. He knows neither of you. 6. I like both.

EACH OTHER and ONE ANOTHER are regarded as compound pronouns

They designate related persons or things.

1. My neighbor and I like each other. 2. We must bear with one another.

The relation indicated by these pronouns is that of reciprocity.

'Some', 'Any', and 'No Article'

We can use some, any or 'no article' before plural or uncountable nouns. They all mean something similar to a/an before a singular noun.

[One banana, but any one is okay.] [More than one banana, but any small group is okay.]

• Can I have a banana?
• Can I have some bananas?

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOME AND 'NO ARTICLE':

Often, there isn't a big difference in meaning between 'no article' and some. However, we use some when we are talking about a limited number or amount but (i) we don't know or (ii) we don't want to say the exact quantity.

Some means 'a certain number of' or 'a certain amount of'.

We don't use some if we are talking about something in general or thinking about it as a category.

When we use some, we don't say the exact quantity, but we could probably find it out if we needed to.

[We don't know exactly how much, but I'm talking about a certain amount of milk – I don't want all the milk in the world.]

For example:

• Can you buy some milk?

On the other hand, we use 'no article' when we aren't thinking about the quantity. It's used to talk about the noun as a category, rather than a certain amount of it:

• We need Ø milk to make pancakes.

[I'm thinking about milk as a category. I'm not thinking about a certain amount of milk.]

More examples:

• We need to buy Ø coffee
• Would you like some coffee?

• [I'm talking about coffee as a category, not thinking about the amount].
• [I mean a certain amount of coffee, probably a cup.]

• [I mean a certain amount of bread].
• [not pasta or rice].

• I ate some bread
• I ate Ø bread

Remember that often it doesn't make a big difference:

1. Do you want Ø tea?
2. Do you want some tea?

1. [I'm not thinking about the amount.]
2. [I'm thinking about the amount, but the meaning is really the same as the first sentence.]

ex 1

Fill the gap with ‘some’ or ‘no article’ (Ø). 1. Can you buy ______ pasta? [I’m thinking of the amount we need for tonight.] 2. We need ______ mushrooms [I’m not thinking about the amount]. 3. John drinks ______ coffee every morning [coffee, not tea]. 4. Add ______ water to the soup if it’s too thick [a certain amount of water]. 5. I really want ______ tea – could you get me a cup? 6. We could have ______ rice for dinner [rice, not pasta]. 7. I ate ______ bread and two eggs for lunch [I’m thinking about the amount]. 8. She bought ______ new furniture [a certain amount of furniture]. 9. Did you get ______ carrots? [I’m not thinking about the amount.] 10. I’d like _______ tea, please! [Tea, not juice or coffee.]

some and any

Generally, we use any in the same way as some: when we are thinking about a certain amount or number of something.

Remember, usually both some and any can only be used with plural countable nouns or uncountable nouns, but not usually with singular countable nouns.

We usually use some with affirmative (positive) sentences and any with negatives and questions:

She bought some tomatoes [positive sentence]. She didn't buy any tomatoes [negative sentence]. Did she buy any tomatoes [question]?

The difference between some and any

However, there are some exceptions to this.

1) Any can be used in a positive sentence to mean 'it's not important which one'. When we use any in this way, it's most often used with singular countable nouns:

• You can take any bus.
• Pass me any glass.
• Come over any Sunday.

2: Any can also be used in positive sentences that have a negative feeling, for example if they include never, hardly, without:

• She never eats any fruit.
• We hardly watch any television.
• Julia left the house without any money.

The difference between some and any

3) Some can be used in questions when we expect that the answer will be 'yes'. This is very common in offers and requests

• Would you like some coffee?
• Do you want some sandwiches?
• Could you give me some help?
• Could you pass me some sugar?

Compare the following two sentences:

1. [This is a real question. I don't know if you have any letters or not.]
2. [I think you do, so I'm expecting that you will say 'yes'.]

1. Do you have any letters for me?
2. Do you have some letters for me?

ex 2

Fill the gap with ‘some’ or ‘any’. 1. Have we got ______ bread? [A real question, I have no idea.] 2. ______ student will tell you that they don’t have enough money [it doesn’t matter which student]. 3. We’ve got ______ furniture, but we still need a table. 4. She bought ______ new clothes. 5. You can buy beer in ______ pub [it doesn’t matter which pub]. 6. Can I have ______ more juice? [I expect you will say ‘yes’.] 7. Did you buy ______ juice? [I have no idea, this is a real question.] 8. I can speak ______ French. 9. Would you like ______ tea? [An offer – I think you will say ‘yes’.] 10. In London in the winter there’s hardly ______ sunlight.

ex 2.1

Fill the gap with ‘some’ or ‘any’. 11. Go into ______ shop on the high street and ask [it doesn’t matter which shop]. 12. Would you like ______ more meat? [An offer – I think you will say ‘yes’.] 13. There’s ______ money in my handbag. 14. Did you buy ______ chicken? [I expect you will say ‘yes’, because we talked about it before.] 15. I don’t have ______ sunblock with me. 16. She never drinks ______ water. 17. Do you have ______ sugar? [I expect you will say ‘yes’, because usually you have sugar.] 18. It’s hard in a new city without ______ friends. 19. I didn’t find ______ problems. 20. Could you give me ______ paper? [A request – I expect you will say ‘yes’.]

someone / somebody / something / somewhere

We use someone / somebody / something / somewhere in the same way as some

and we use anyone / anybody / anything / anywhere in the same way as any.

We use somebody / something / somewhere mainly in positive sentences.

• We can find somebody who can help.
• There's something in the bag.
• Let's go somewhere this weekend.

someone / somebody / something / somewhere

We use anybody / anything / anywhere in the same way, but for questions and negative sentences.

• I can't find anybody who can help.
• Is there anything in the bag?
• We didn't go anywhere this weekend

We also use anybody / anything / anywhere with sentences that have a negative feeling.

• There is hardly anybody here.
• She ate hardly anything.
• We spent the weekend at home without going anywhere.

someone / somebody / something / somewhere anybody / anything / anywhere

We can use somebody / something / somewhere in questions when they are offers or requests or when we think the answer is yes.

• Are you looking for something? (= I think you're looking for something.)
• Would you like something to eat?

We often use anybody / anything / anywhere after 'if'.

• If anybody would like a coffee, tell me now!
• If anything is wrong, you need to phone the reception.
• If there's anywhere that you don't want to go, please send me an email.

anybody / anything / anywhere

We also use anybody / anything / anywhere with the meaning 'it doesn't matter who / which / where'.

• Anybody can do this.
• I'd like to go anywhere! I just don't want to be here!
• She was so hungry that she ate anything.

No- Nobody = not anybody. No-Nothing = not anything. No-Nowhere = not anywhere.

• I don't know anyone who's coming = I know nobody who's coming.
• There isn't anything here = there's nothing here.
• She doesn't want to go anywhere = she wants to go nowhere.

Usually the sentence with 'no' is stronger and more emphatic.

We don't usually use a negative verb with nobody / nothing / nowhere. Sometimes you hear this but it's not standard English. NOT: I don't know nobody.

• Do you know everybody here?
• He doesn't know everything.
• I think that she has been everywhere in Europe.

Every- Everybody = all the people. Every- Everything = all the things. Every- Everywhere = all the places.

These can be used in positive sentences, negative sentences and questions.

ex 3

1. She wants to live ________________ by the sea (in a certain place). 2. She put ________________ in the box, all the things that she had. 3. Does ________________ have a phone charger? (I don’t know if a person has a charger or not.) 4. We went ________________ this weekend. We stayed at home. 5. She didn’t bring ________________ to the party. 6. Is there ________________ in the room? 7. A: What’s wrong? B: ________________, I’m fine. 8. ________________ lives in that house. It’s empty. 9. Would you like to go ________________ this weekend? (I don’t expect a particular answer.) 10. ________________ was really friendly, all the managers and even the CEO. 11. ________________ is going really well and so I’m really happy.

12. I know ________________ in this company. It’s my first day. 13. Did you go ________________ during the summer? (I don’t know if you did or not.) 14. She doesn’t want ________________ to help her. 15. She loves ________________. She’s a really kind person. 16. I must have left my keys ________________! 17. They looked ________________ for the money. They looked in all the places in the house. 18. Would you like ________________ to drink? (This is an offer, not a real question.) 19. ________________ in the UK has hot weather today. It’s cold all over the country. 20. ________________ unusual happened. It was a very ordinary day. 21. I gave the children ________________ to eat because they were hungry. 22. I wish ________________ would clean this mess up! 23. ________________ came to the door earlier but I don’t know who it was. 24. I’d love to travel ________________ – all over the whole world!

ex 3