A lot of students get confused over when to use indefinite pronouns. In this lesson we will explore how to use these pronouns correctly. The pronouns we will focus on are Some-Any-No-Every. For example, what is the difference between: ” We can’t see anything from here” and “We can see nothing from here”?
With this lesson, students should be able to practice all four skills and feel confident using them by the time the class is finished.

Indefinite Pronouns

Downloadable Worksheets:

What is the difference between No- and Any-?

Compare the indefinite pronoun sentences in this table:

Have you got anything to eat in the house?	I don’t have anything to eat in the house.	I have nothing to eat in the house.
Are you going anywhere this weekend?	She isn’t going anywhere this weekend.	She is going nowhere this weekend.
Are you anyone important?	I am not anyone important.	I am no one important.
Do you want to do anything today?	I don’t want to do anything today.	I want to do nothing today.
Do you like anyone at this party?	I don’t like anyone at this party.	I like no one at this party.

1. Can you underline the differences between the sentences in the table above?
2. What is the main difference between the sentences using any- and no- in the table?
3. When do we use “any-” and when do we use “no-“? Why?

Write two of your own example sentences following the examples above

Explanation:

No- and Any- are both negative indefinite pronouns. They are used to give a negative meaning to a sentence. The big difference is that we use No- with affirmative sentences and Any- with negative sentences or questions.

For Example:

1. “I don’t have anything to do in my house”
2. “I have nothing to do in my house.”
3. “Have you got anything to do in your house?”
You can see that in the first and second sentence we use don’t which is negative so we must use any-.
In the second sentence we use no- because it is an affirmative sentence.

Read this text and underline the indefinite pronouns:

There was once a man no one liked. He was not nice, and he couldn’t go anywhere without people recognizing him. They would say mean things to him like: ” That’s the rich man who won’t give anyone anything. He just sits at home without talking to anyone and only comes out to buy food. What a terrible little man!”
The man hated what everyone said and would think “I don’t like anyone in this town. They are all poor and hateful. They are just jealous because they can’t buy anything.”
Question: Do you agree or disagree with the old man? Why?

Complete these sentences with the correct indefinite pronoun:

Anyone

Anywhere

Anything

1. I can’t seem to find my keys ________.
2. Isn’t there __________ who can help me?
3. Don’t touch ___________ you can’t afford!
4. Doctor, please! Is there __________ I can do?
5. Where do you want to go?
   __________ is fine.
6. Does _____________ know CPR?

Match the sentences from A-F to 1-6

a. I have never seen anyone		1. to go to the cinema.
b. I’m so busy but there is nowhere		2. to see here.
c. Nobody here wants		3. get a drink after work?
d. There is nothing		4. before the war.
e. Anybody want to		5. do that before!
f. There was nothing here		6. where I can go to finish my work.

Discussion Questions:

1. Is there anything you still must do today? What is it?
2. Are you going anywhere this weekend?
3. Are you seeing anyone at the moment?
4. Have you watched anything interesting recently? What was it about?
5. Do you like reading? Have you read anything good recently?

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Downloadable worksheet

What is the difference between some- and every-?

Compare the sentences on the left to the sentences on the right:

Can someone explain the difference between these two?	Can everyone please calm down!
I bought everything at that shop!	I bought something just for you.
Everybody, please be quiet!	I hear somebody talking.
There are bugs everywhere.	Where are my keys? I saw them somewhere, but I don’t remember where….

1. What is the main difference between the right side and left side of the table?
2. When do we use “some-” and when do we use “every-?” Why?

Explanation:

These two are a little more obvious. We use every- when talking about people in general. We use some- when talking about an individual.

Read the following text and underline the indefinite pronouns

I’ve decided to quit my job and move to a new city. Somewhere hot, close to the beach. I talked to my boss this morning to let him know. I said everywhere I looked there were problems. Everything in this company is too disorganized and I could never find anything. There were more problems. I asked somebody what they thought, and they agreed with me. It’s a new chapter for me, somewhere hot, with a beach.
Question: What do you think about this person’s decision? Why?

Complete the sentences with the words in the box:

Everyone	Everything	Everywhere
Somewhere	Someone	Something

1. Where has _________ gone?
2. I saw your cellphone in the classroom ___________.
3. Excuse me, there is ___________ on your face.
4. Before I die, I want to travel __________!
5. If I had a million dollars I would buy __________ in this store.
6. I saw _________ suspicious outside.

Match the sentences from A-F to 1-6

1. Everywhere I go in this town		a. I can go to try these on?
2. I saw someone		b. talking about me.
3. There’s something		c. looking at me weirdly.
4. I hear someone		d. I see trash.
5. Is there somewhere		e. so cool!
6. Everyone here is		f. on your shirt.

Discussion Questions

1. What is something you see everywhere?
2. Who is someone you can rely on?
3. Who is someone in your family you think is funny?
4. Is there somebody you don’t like at school/work? Why?
5. Does everybody at your work/school work hard? Why or why not?
6. Some people are perfectionists. Do you do everything well or are you lazy about some things?

I hope you can make use of this lesson plan on indefinite pronouns. Let me know how it goes!

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