Indefinite Pronoun Agreement

Lesson 3.8

Here’s the Idea• An indefinite pronoun does not refer to a specific person, place, thing, or idea.

• Indefinite pronouns often do not have antecedents.

• Everyone should know about the men of Endurance.

• Anybody would be amazed by the story of this shipwreck.

Indefinite pronouns can be singular, plural, or either singular or plural.

• Singular Indefinite Pronouns

another anybody anyone anything each either everybody everyone everything neither nobody on one nothing one somebody someone something

Plural Indefinite Pronouns• both few many several

• Singular and Plural Indefinite Pronouns

• all any most none some

• Pronouns containing -one, -thing, or -body are always singular.

Use a singular personal pronoun to refer to a singular indefinite pronoun.

• Anyone in trouble depends on his or her friends.

• On the Endurance, everybody had to keep up his spirits while waiting for rescue.

refers to

Anyone could be masculine or feminine.

refers to

There were only men on the ship.

Plural Indefinite Pronouns

• Use a plural personal pronoun to refer to a plural indefinite pronoun.

• Many shared their food and clothing.

• None realized they would not return home for twenty months.

refers to

refers to

Singular or Plural Indefinite Pronouns

• Some indefinite pronouns can be singular or plural.

• Often the phrase that follows the indefinite pronoun will tell you whether the pronoun is singular or plural.

• Most of the mast had lost its sail.

• Most of the masts had lost their sails.

Singular indefinite pronoun

Singular personal pronoun

Plural Indefinite Pronoun

Plural Personal Pronoun

Let’s Do a Little Practice!

• In 1915, all of the men became trapped with (his, their) ship in the Antarctic ice.

• No one could send (his, their) family a message.

• Few of them were able to avoid sleeping on the ice in (his, their) wet clothes.

• (He, They) sailed toward a splinter of land.

their

his

their

They

• Each was relieved when (he, they) reached the land safely.

• Shackleton chose a few of the men and asked (him, them) to row 800 icy miles to get help.

• Each was chosen for (his, their) special courage.

• One used (his, their) carpentry skills to make new boat parts from packing crates.

• Some of the waves were 50 feet high. The men had to face (it, them) in only a lifeboat!

he

them

his

his

them