Indefinite pronoun
An indefinite pronoun is a pronoun which does not have a specific, familiar referent. Indefinite pronouns are in contrast to definite pronouns.
Indefinite pronouns can represent either count nouns or noncount nouns. They often have related forms across these categories: universal, assertive existential, elective existential, and negative.
Many languages distinguish forms of indefinites used in affirmative contexts from those used in non-affirmative contexts. For instance, English "something" can be used only in affirmative contexts while "anything" is used otherwise.
Indefinite pronouns are associated with indefinite determiners of a similar or identical form. A pronoun can be thought of as replacing a noun phrase, while a determiner introduces a noun phrase and precedes any adjectives that modify the noun. Thus, all is an indefinite determiner in "all good boys deserve favour" but a pronoun in "all are happy".
Table of English indefinite pronoun usage
Most indefinite pronouns correspond to discretely singular or plural usage. However, some of them can entail singularity in one context and plurality in another. Pronouns that commonly connote indefiniteness are indicated below, with examples as singular, plural, or singular/plural usage.List of quantifier pronouns
English has the following quantifier pronouns:;Uncountable
- enough – Enough is enough.
- little – Little is known about this period of history.
- less – Less is known about this period of history.
- much – Much was discussed at the meeting.
- more – More is better.
- most – Most was rotten.
- plenty – Thanks, that's plenty.
;Countable, plural
- several – Several were chosen.
- few – Few were chosen.
- fewer – Fewer are going to church these days.
- many – Many were chosen.
- more – ''More were ignored.''
Possessive forms
Some of the English indefinite pronouns above have possessive forms. These are made as for nouns, by adding 's or just an apostrophe following a plural -s.The most commonly encountered possessive forms of the above pronouns are:
- one's, as in "One should mind one's own business."
- those derived from the singular indefinite pronouns ending in -one or -body: nobody's, someone's, etc.
- whoever's, as in "We used whoever's phone that is."
- those derived from other and its variants: the other's, another's, and the plural others': "We should not take others' possessions."
- either's, neither's
Compound indefinite pronouns
Two indefinite pronouns can sometimes be used in combination together.And they can also be made possessive by adding an apostrophe and s.