Indefinite Pronouns: The Vague but Valid Subjects

Quick question: In the sentence “Everyone is coming to the party,” who exactly is everyone? Your roommate? Your entire contact list? That random person from your bio lab? The answer is… we don’t know. And that’s totally fine. Everyone is an indefinite pronoun—a pronoun that doesn’t refer to anyone specific. It’s vague on purpose, and it can absolutely be the subject of a sentence.

What Are Indefinite Pronouns?

An indefinite pronoun is a pronoun that doesn’t refer to a definite (specific) person, place, or thing. Unlike personal pronouns (I, you, she), which point to specific people, indefinite pronouns are intentionally vague.

Think of them as the mystery guests of grammar—they show up, they do their job, but we don’t always know exactly who (or what) they are.

Examples:

Someone left their bag in the library. (Who? We don’t know.)

Nobody answered my text. (Literally not one person, but we’re not naming names.)

Everything is going wrong today. (What specifically? All of it.)

The Indefinite Pronoun Squad

Here’s a list of indefinite pronouns that can function as subjects. You don’t need to memorize all of them, but you should recognize them when you see them:

all  •  another  •  any  •  anybody  •  anyone  •  anything

both  •  each  •  either  •  everyone  •  everybody  •  everything

few  •  many  •  more  •  most  •  neither  •  nobody  •  none

one  •  others  •  several  •  some  •  somebody  •  someone  •  something

Notice how they all sound non-specific? That’s the whole point. These pronouns work when you’re talking about people or things in general, not specific individuals.

Using Indefinite Pronouns as Subjects

Just like personal pronouns, indefinite pronouns can be the subject of a sentence. They answer the same questions: Who or what is doing something?

Everyone passed the exam. (Who passed? Everyone.)

Something smells amazing. (What smells amazing? Something.)

Few understand the assignment. (Who understands? Few people.)

Nothing makes sense anymore. (What makes sense? Nothing.)

See how they work? The indefinite pronoun is doing the job of the subject, even though we don’t know exactly who or what it refers to.

A Quick Note: Singular or Plural?

Here’s a tricky part: some indefinite pronouns are always singular, even when they sound plural. For example:

Everyone is here. (Not “Everyone are here”—sounds weird, right?)

Words like everyone, everybody, someone, nobody, nothing, anything, and everything are singular, so they take singular verbs (is, not are).

But some indefinite pronouns like both, few, many, and several are plural:

Many are called, but few are chosen.

Don’t stress too much about this—just listen to what sounds right. If it sounds wrong, it probably is.

Quick Practice: Spot the Indefinite Pronoun Subject

Identify the indefinite pronoun subject in each sentence:

1. Nobody knows the answer.
2. Several arrived late to the meeting.
3. Everything is going according to plan.
4. Anyone can learn this skill.

Answers: 1. Nobody | 2. Several | 3. Everything | 4. Anyone

The Bottom Line

Indefinite pronouns may be vague, but they’re incredibly useful. They let you talk about people and things in general without getting specific, and they work perfectly as subjects. Whether it’s everyone, nobody, something, or few—these pronouns keep your sentences flexible and natural. Just remember: vague doesn’t mean wrong.

___