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Something, anyone, nobody, everywhere…
A2 A2 grammar · lesson 23 of 25
Words like something, anybody and nowhere are very common. They follow the same rules as some and any, which you know from A1.
The family table
| people | things | places | |
|---|---|---|---|
| some— | someone / somebody | something | somewhere |
| any— | anyone / anybody | anything | anywhere |
| no— | no one / nobody | nothing | nowhere |
| every— | everyone / everybody | everything | everywhere |
-one and -body mean the same: someone = somebody. People often use -one in writing and -body in speaking, but both are correct. Note that no one is two words.
Rules
- some- in positive sentences: There’s someone at the door.
- any- in questions and negatives: Did you buy anything? I didn’t see anyone.
- no- already has a negative meaning, so we use a positive verb: I saw nobody. = I didn’t see anybody.
- every- means all: Everyone likes Anna.
I’m hungry. I want something to eat.
Let’s go somewhere nice for dinner.
Is there anything in the fridge?
I can’t find my keys anywhere.
Nobody answered the phone.
There’s nothing on TV tonight.
Everybody is here. Let’s start.
I looked everywhere for my phone.
Common mistakes
✗ I didn’t see nobody.
✓ I didn’t see anybody. / I saw nobody.
✗ Everybody are here.
✓ Everybody is here.
✗ I don’t know something about it.
✓ I don’t know anything about it.
✗ There isn’t nothing in the box.
✓ There isn’t anything in the box.