Verb agreement with indefinite pronouns

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• Indefinite pronouns and grammatical number
• Indefinite pronouns that are singular
• Indefinite pronouns that are plural
• Indefinite pronouns that can be either singular or plural
• Additional information

Indefinite pronouns and grammatical number

Indefinite pronouns are non-specific words like someone, others, several or none. Although, as pronouns, these words take the place of a noun, they don’t refer to a specific person, place or thing.

Some of these pronouns are always singular or always plural. But some can change their number: they can be either singular or plural, depending on the context.

It’s important to know whether an indefinite pronoun subject is singular or plural so that we can make the verb agree.

Indefinite pronouns that are singular

Singular indefinite pronouns include the following:

• the compounds of -body (anybody, everybody, nobody, somebody)
• the compounds of -one (anyone, everyone, no one, someone)
• the compounds of -thing (anything, everything, nothing, something)
• the words one, another, (the) other, each, either, neither, little, less and much

A singular verb is used with these pronouns:

• Nobody likes liver for supper.
• Everyone sings in the shower.
• Something smells funny.
• One of these keys fits the lock.
• Each of the members has the right to bring a guest.
• Either is fine with me.

Indefinite pronouns that are plural

A plural verb is used with the indefinite pronouns both, few, fewer, many, others and several, which are always plural:

• Both of them play the flute very well.
• Few read this well at such a young age.
• Many of our young people go to larger cities to find work.
• Several of the neighbourhood lawns need to be mowed.

Indefinite pronouns that can be either singular or plural

Indefinite pronouns like all, more, most, none and some take their meaning from the word they refer to (which is often found in a phrase following the pronoun).

In each pair of examples below, the first sentence contains an indefinite pronoun that refers to a singular noun (milk, story, cake, bread). The pronoun is therefore singular in meaning and takes a singular verb.

But in the second sentence in each pair of examples, the same pronoun refers to a plural noun (books, rules, songs, photos). The pronoun is then plural in meaning and takes a plural verb.

• All of the milk has spilled on the table. [singular]
  All of the books have been sold. [plural]
• Most of the story makes no sense. [singular]
  Most of the workers make a good living. [plural]
• None of the cake is left for dessert. [singular]
  None of the songs are any good. [plural]
• Some of the bread was mouldy. [singular]
  Some of the photos were out of focus. [plural]

Additional information

• Indefinite pronouns
• Pronoun agreement: Indefinite pronouns
• Verb agreement

Quizzes

• Subject-verb agreement: Indefinite pronouns