Indefinite pronouns refer to unnamed or unknown people or things. They take the place of nouns and can serve as the subject of a sentence.
Rule: Compound words beginning with “any” are indefinite pronouns.
- Which animal is the most generous?
. . . the skunk . . . it’ll give anybody a scent.
- What keys can’t fit anyone’s door lock?
. . . the Florida Keys
- Which vegetable has eyes but can't see anything?
. . . a potato
- Where does an 800-pound gorilla sit?
. . . Anywhere it wants to!
Rule: Compound words beginning with “every” are indefinite pronouns.
- Why do fences often surround cemeteries?
. . . because everybody is dying to get in
- Girl: “Guess who I saw yesterday!”
Boy: “Everyone you looked at.”
- How does a rooster keep his feathers so nicely groomed?
. . . He carries his comb everywhere he goes.
Rule: Compound words beginning with “no” are indefinite pronouns.
- Why it is so hard to find a store that sells alligator shoes?
. . . Nobody wants to wait on alligators.
- What’s the most elusive thing in the world?
. . .A shadow. No one has ever caught one.
Note: “no one” is always two words.
Rule: Compound words beginning with “some” are indefinite pronouns.
- What is a lumberjack?
. . . Something used to lift up a flat tree.