Grammar

                                                  SOME, ANY, NO

Every', 'some', 'any' and 'no' can be used with 'one', 'body' and 'thing' to form compound pronouns, such as everyone, somebody, anything and nothing.

I know someone who gives piano lessons.

Somebody has obviously made a mistake.

Has anyone got a dictionary?

Can I do anything to help?

Everyone started to clap. (or Everybody …)

Everything closes at the end of the holiday season.
We need to tidy up. There's rubbish everywhere. Nobody knows where it is. No-one came to the party.
He says he knows nothing about the crime.
They are homeless. They have nowhere to live.

Nobody was interested in the talk. (or No one was …)



'Every', 'some', 'any' and 'no' can also be used with 'where' to form adverbs such as everywhere, somewhere and anywhere.

I cannot find my keys anywhere.

I’ve seen you somewhere before.

After everyone/everybody, someone ... , we use they/their/them:
Everyone has to take their shoes off before they come in.
Could everybody please put their names on the list?Everybody enjoyed themselves at the party.
I would really like to ask someone if they knew about this.
Somebody left their umbrella in the office



We use else after indefinite pronouns to refer to people or things in addition to the ones we already mentioned.

All the family came, but no one else.
If Michael can’t come we’ll ask somebody else.
So that's eggs, peas and chips. Do you want anything else?

Any in positive sentences is used to refer to any person, thing or place from a group, so we use any in positive sentences when we mean it doesn't matter which ..:

Anyone could help me: the man or the woman or the child or the old lady.

I will do anything if you help me: I will give you money or I will help you do the washing up ....

You can come and ask for my help any time.

That exercise is very easy, any children here could answer that. (this boy, or that girl, it doesn't matter who you choose, they all know the answer)

REMEMBER that Some can be used in polite requests and offers:

Would you like some cheese? (More natural than ‘Would you like any cheese?’)

Would you like some tea?

Could I have some more rice? (Polite request)

Could you give me some advice, please?

Similarly we can also use someone and somebody if requesting or offering something:

Would somebody like to read the next passage?

Can someone help me with this month's report?

Click on the link to do exercises:

Link 1

Link 2

Link 3