PEOPLE | THINGS | PLACES |
anybody/anyone | anything | anywhere |
somebody/someone | something | somewhere |
nobody/no one | nothing | nowhere |
everybody/everyone | everything | everywhere |
Anybody/anyone, anything and anywhere
We use anyone, anybody and anything to refer to both an open, unlimited set of things or people and specific things or people. We use them with a singular verb:
I don’t know anyone who speaks Chinese.
Can I do anything to help?
Put those anywhere you’d like.
Nobody/no one, nothing and nowhere
We use no one, nobody, nothing and nowhere to refer to an absence of people, things or places. We use them with a singular verb:
Nobody ever goes to see her. She’s very lonely.
You usually have to wait for a long time. Nothing happens quickly.
There was nowhere to park the car.
Nobody said anything.
Somebody/someone, something and somewhere
We use someone, somebody, something, somewhere in affirmative clauses and in questions expecting a particular answer. We can use them to refer to both general and specific people or things. We use them with a singular verb:
I know someone who gives piano lessons. (a specific person)
Somebody has obviously made a mistake. (general, we don’t know who)
Can you hear something?
I can’t find my keys. I must have put them somewhere.