Identify and correct errors with indefinite pronoun-verb agreement
Key Notes:
| What are Indefinite Pronouns? |
Indefinite pronouns are words that refer to people, things, or places in a general way, not specific ones.
Examples:
- Singular: everyone, somebody, anyone, each, nobody 🧑🤝🧑
- Plural: few, many, several, both 👫
- Can be singular or plural: all, some, any, none ⚖️
The verb must agree with the indefinite pronoun in number (singular/plural).
✅ Correct:
- Everyone is ready. ✅
- Few students are absent. ✅
❌ Incorrect:
- Everyone are ready. ❌
- Few students is absent. ❌
| Rules of Indefinite Pronoun–Verb Agreement |
| Indefinite Pronoun | Verb Form | Example |
|---|
| everyone, everybody, someone, nobody, each | Singular | Everyone loves ice cream 🍦 |
| few, many, several, both | Plural | Several books are on the table 📚 |
| all, any, some, none | Singular or Plural (depends on the noun that follows) | Some of the cake is gone 🎂 / Some of the cookies are gone 🍪 |
- Find the indefinite pronoun first ✅
- Example: “Everyone” → singular
- Check the verb ✅
- Example: “Everyone are happy” ❌ → Change to “is”
- Look for clues in the sentence
- Words like of the students, of the cookies tell you if plural or singular
- Singular pronouns 🧑🏫 → ends with s: “is, has”
- Plural pronouns 👫 → no s: “are, have”
- Nobody ___ (know/knows) the answer. → knows ✅
- Few of the apples ___ (is/are) rotten. → are ✅
- Everyone ___ (was/were) excited. → was ✅
- Some of the milk ___ (is/are) spoiled. → is ✅
- Many students ___ (enjoy/enjoys) the game. → enjoy ✅
- Singular indefinite pronouns → singular verbs
- Plural indefinite pronouns → plural verbs
- “All, some, any, none” → depends on what they refer to
