Something, anything, nothing: some-, any-, no- and every- words

When you use it

Words like something, anybody, nowhere and everyone let you talk about a person, a thing or a place without naming it. Sometimes you do not know who or what it is (Somebody is at the door). Sometimes it does not matter (Anyone can join the club). And sometimes the answer is "none" or "all" (Nothing happened, Everybody laughed). The first part of the word follows the same rules as some, any and no in the lesson on some and any. This lesson goes further: the full set of words, the rule of one negative word, the verb form after them, and where to put an adjective or else.

How it is formed

Each word has a beginning (some-, any-, no-, every-) and an ending that says what you are talking about.

-body and -one mean exactly the same, and both are correct in speech and in writing. All the words are written as one word except no one, which is two words (many British writers also use no-one).

some- is for a person, thing or place that you do not name. It goes in positive statements, and also in offers and requests, where you expect the answer yes: Can somebody help me, please?

any- goes after a negative verb (I didn't hear anything) and in most questions (Did anyone see Tom today?). In a positive statement it has a different meaning: "it does not matter who, what or where". Anyone can join the club means every person is welcome.

no- means not + any-, so it goes with a positive verb: I heard nothing means the same as I didn't hear anything. Standard English uses only one negative word in a sentence like this. I didn't hear nothing is a double negative; you will hear it in some songs and in very informal speech, but it is not standard English. When the negative idea is the subject, use a no- word and a positive verb: Nobody came, not Anybody didn't come.

every- means all the people, all the things or all the places.

Three more points:

• The verb is singular. All these words take the verb form of he, she or it, even everybody, which means many people: Everybody is here, Nobody knows, Does anyone have a pen? When you talk about the person again, English usually uses they: Someone forgot their umbrella.
• An adjective comes after the word, not before it: something nice, nowhere warm, anyone famous.
• Else means "other" and also comes after: somebody else (another person), everything else, nowhere else.

Examples

• I can hear something strange in the kitchen.
• Tom didn't eat anything for breakfast.
• No one answered the phone, so I sent a text.
• Everyone in our street knows Anna.
• We wanted a coffee, but there was nowhere open after ten.
• You can park anywhere in this street on Sundays.
• Would you like something else?
• Let's go somewhere quiet for lunch.
• I packed everything for the trip last night.
• Is anybody hungry? I'm making pasta.

Common mistakes

• ✗I don't know nothing about it.

  ✓ I don't know anything about it. / I know nothing about it.

  After a negative verb (don't, didn't, can't) the word is an any- word. A no- word already contains the negative, so it goes with a positive verb. Я нічого не знаю needs both нічого and не, so a second negative word after don't feels natural. Я ничего не знаю needs both ничего and не, so a second negative word after don't feels natural. German also uses one negative word, Ich weiß nichts, so I know nothing is the direct translation. With don't, English needs anything.

• ✗Everybody are ready. Nobody know the answer.

  ✓ Everybody is ready. Nobody knows the answer.

  These words take a singular verb, like he or she. Everybody means many people, but it takes a singular verb. Усі takes a plural verb (Усі прийшли), which pulls learners towards are. Кожен with a singular verb (Кожен знає) is the better model. Все takes a plural verb (Все пришли), which pulls learners towards are. Каждый with a singular verb (Каждый знает) is the better model. Alle sind da is plural, but Jeder ist da and Niemand weiß es are singular. Everybody works like jeder.

• ✗Let's cook nice something tonight.

  ✓ Let's cook something nice tonight.

  With these words the adjective comes after, not before. Else also comes after: someone else, never else someone. Щось смачне also puts the adjective after the word, so this order should feel natural. Что-то вкусное also puts the adjective after the word, so this order should feel natural. Etwas Schönes and nichts anderes have the same order as something nice and nothing else, so this should feel natural.

• ✗Anybody called you this morning.

  ✓ Somebody called you this morning. / Someone called you this morning.

  For one person you do not name, use somebody or someone. In a positive statement anybody means "it does not matter who", and that is not the meaning here. Хтось is somebody. Anybody in a positive statement is closer to будь-хто. Кто-то is somebody. Anybody in a positive statement is closer to кто угодно. Irgendjemand hat angerufen talks about one person you do not know, so English says somebody here. Anybody in a positive statement is closer to egal wer.

• ✗Anybody didn't come to the meeting. / ✗ Nobody didn't come.

  ✓ Nobody came to the meeting. / No one came to the meeting.

  When the negative idea is the subject, the subject is a no- word and the verb stays positive. An any- word does not start a sentence with a negative verb. Ніхто не прийшов has two negative words. In English nobody already carries the not, so the verb is positive. Никто не пришёл has two negative words. In English nobody already carries the not, so the verb is positive. Niemand ist gekommen has one negative word and a positive verb, exactly like Nobody came.

Practice

The exercises go from easy to harder. Each answer is checked at once. If it is wrong, you get a hint and a second try.