pronoun | meaning | example |
singular |
another | an additional or different person or thing | That ice-cream was good. Can I have another? |
anybody/anyone | no matter what person | Can anyone answer this question? |
anything | no matter what thing | The doctor needs to know if you have eaten anything in the last two hours. |
each | every one of two or more people or things, seen separately | Each has his own thoughts. |
either | one or the other of two people or things | Do you want tea or coffee? / I don't mind. Either is good for me. |
enough | as much or as many as needed | Enough is enough. |
everybody/everyone | all people | We can start the meeting because everybody has arrived. |
everything | all things | They have no house or possessions. They losteverything in the earthquake. |
less | a smaller amount | "Less is more" (Mies van der Rohe) |
little | a small amount | Little is know about his early life. |
much | a large amount | Much has happend since we met. |
neither | not one and not the other of two people or things | I keep telling Jack and Jill butneither believes me. |
nobody/no-one | no person | I phoned many times butnobody answered. |
nothing | no single thing, not anything | If you don't know the answer it's best to say nothing. |
one | an unidentified person | Can one smoke here? | All the students arrived but now one is missing. |
other | a different person or thing from one already mentioned | One was tall and the other was short. |
somebody/someone | an unspecified or unknown person | Clearly somebody murdered him. It was not suicide. |
something | an unspecified or unknown thing | Listen! I just heard something! What could it be? |
you | an unidentified person (informal) | And you can see why. |
plural |
both | two people or things, seen together | John likes coffee but not tea. I think both are good. |
few | a small number of people or things | Few have ever disobeyed him and lived. |
fewer | a reduced number of people or things | Fewer are smoking these days. |
many | a large number of people or things | Many have come already. |
others | other people; not us | I'm sure that others have tried before us. |
several | more than two but not many | They all complained and severalleft the meeting. |
they | people in general (informal) | They say that vegetables are good for you. |
singular or plural |
all | the whole quantity of something or of some things or people | All is forgiven.
All have arrived. |
any | no matter how much or how many | Is any left?
Are any coming? |
more | a greater quantity of something; a greater number of people or things | There is more over there.
More are coming. |
most | the majority; nearly all | Most is lost.
Most have refused. |
none | not any; no person or persons | They fixed the water so why isnone coming out of the tap?
I invited five friends but nonehave come.* |
some | an unspecified quantity of something; an unspecified number of people or things | Here is some.
Some have arrived. |
such | of the type already mentioned | He was a foreigner and he felt that he was treated as such. |