indefinite pronouns: SOMEBODY SOMEONE EVERYBODY EVERYONE

Here are the search results in iWeb corpus for the frequency of indefinite pronouns with the tag:

_PN1

1 SOMETHING 7038440 B1  (want + object + infinitive)

Are you sure you don’t want something to eat?
No, thanks.  I‘m fine.

listen

2 ONE 7014912
3 EVERYTHING 3661675
4 SOMEONE 3447852
5 ANYTHING 3347394
6 EVERYONE 3007402
7 NOTHING 2966176
8 ANYONE 2741077

9 NO ONE 863063 (PN121 PN122)

10 EVERYBODY 476935
11 NOBODY 451477
12 SOMEBODY 350684
13 ANYBODY 307399


Here’s a student example of the indefinite pronoun ‘everyone’ in the subject position with a singular verb:

Everyone knows Istanbul.

PELIC Turkish male level 3 writing class.


The indefinite pronouns: ‘ANYONE’, ‘SOMEBODY’, ‘SOMEONE’, ‘EVERYBODY’ and ‘EVERYONE’ are all listed at A2 in the English Vocabulary Profile.  As far as CEFR level allocation, it doesn’t make any difference which position they take in the sentence.  The English Grammar Profile (EGP) does offer the following specifications though:

A2 point 23 in PRONOUNs is defined:

a limited range of indefinite pronouns (‘someone’, ‘everyone’) as subjects, with a singular verb

A2 point 33 in PRONOUNS is defined as:

an increasing range of indefinite pronouns as objects or complements of prepositions.


*Oddly, it seems ‘someone + adjective is not listed with the other indefinite pronouns. Also, there is listing for ‘anybody’ in the EGP.


In the EGP examples we have:

An iWeb search for _V someone|everyone|somebody|everybody

1 FIND SOMEONE 45253
2 KNOW SOMEONE 30854
3 SEE SOMEONE 25775
4 NEED SOMEONE 22836
5 GET SOMEONE 19451
6 THINK EVERYONE 16489
7 HELP SOMEONE 15688
8 WANT SOMEONE 15239

AI examples using the most common collocates:

1 FIND SOMEONE

    • I found someone to help me with my project.
    • I found someone who could speak my language.

2 KNOW SOMEONE

    • I know someone who can help you with that.
    • I know someone who works at the bank.

3 SEE SOMEONE

    • I saw someone strange lurking in the shadows.
    • I saw someone I knew at the grocery store.

4 NEED SOMEONE

    • I need someone to talk to.
    • I need someone to help me with this project.

5 GET SOMEONE

    • I got someone to help me with my homework.
    • I got someone to watch my kids while I went out.

6 THINK EVERYONE

    • I think everyone is talking about me.
    • I think everyone is wrong about this.

7 HELP SOMEONE

    • I helped someone find their lost dog.
    • I helped someone move into their new apartment.

8 WANT SOMEONE

    • I want someone to love me.
    • I want someone to talk to.

9 LET EVERYONE 14356 B1 Verb pattern

Governments should let everyone know that they will monitor and control the internet.

PELIC STUDENT: Chinese, Female, LEVEL 5, writing class


 

10 GET EVERYONE 13520

11 KEEP EVERYONE 13499

12 TELL EVERYONE 13337


13 THANK EVERYONE 12924

Japanese,Female,4,w

The Japanese thank everyone for bringing a peaceful end to living a past year and pray for happiness and good health in the coming year during New Year‘s holidays.


 

14 MEET SOMEONE 12769
15 ASK SOMEONE 12361
16 HIRE SOMEONE 12331
17 MAKE EVERYONE 11362
18 LET SOMEONE 11116
19 TELL SOMEONE 11063

20 HOPE EVERYONE 10495

21 WANT EVERYONE 10136
22 MAKE SOMEONE 10051
23 HOPE SOMEONE 9853
24 GIVE EVERYONE 9393
25 GIVE SOMEONE 8981
26 ENCOURAGE EVERYONE 8587
27 THINK SOMEONE 8499

28 HOPING SOMEONE 8380

29 KNOW EVERYONE 8010
30 HELP EVERYONE 7950
31 PAY SOMEONE 7221
32 HEAR SOMEONE 6843
33 FINDING SOMEONE 6532
34 SEE EVERYONE 6471
35 HEARD SOMEONE 6400

36 KILL SOMEONE 6288

37 FOUND SOMEONE 6111
38 SAW SOMEONE 5982
39 TELLING EVERYONE 5818

40 CALL SOMEONE 5427

41 PLEASE EVERYONE 5223
42 SEND SOMEONE 5139
43 LOVE SOMEONE 5108
44 MET SOMEONE 5047
45 TAKE SOMEONE 4904

46 WISH SOMEONE 4822

47 TOLD EVERYONE 4791
48 NEEDED SOMEONE 4764
49 THINK EVERYBODY 4676
50 ENSURE EVERYONE 4605
51 REMIND EVERYONE 4603

52 SUIT EVERYONE 4541

53 SEEING SOMEONE 4522
54 SHOW EVERYONE 4389
55 HELPS SOMEONE 4348
56 HELPING SOMEONE 4284
57 HIRING SOMEONE 4157
58 MAKES EVERYONE 4130
59 TELLING SOMEONE 4052
60 LIKE SOMEONE 4036
61 MEETING SOMEONE 3899
62 SEEN SOMEONE 3774
63 ASKING SOMEONE 3767
64 DATING SOMEONE 3622
65 WISH EVERYONE 3558
66 FIND SOMEBODY 3529
67 MADE EVERYONE 3398
68 GIVING EVERYONE 3330
69 NEEDS SOMEONE 3307
70 ALLOW SOMEONE 3252
71 GETTING SOMEONE 3248
72 TREAT EVERYONE 3206
73 KNEW SOMEONE 3196

74 BELIEVE EVERYONE 3190

75 GETTING EVERYONE 3141
76 GIVES EVERYONE 3117

77 HURT SOMEONE 3107

78 WANTED SOMEONE 3021
79 ASK EVERYONE 3017
80 GIVING SOMEONE 2970
81 IMAGINE SOMEONE 2949
82 MAKING EVERYONE 2935
83 BELIEVE SOMEONE 2920
84 SAY SOMEONE 2910
85 PUT SOMEONE 2823
86 PAYING SOMEONE 2805

87 BRING SOMEONE 2741

88 KILL EVERYONE 2740
89 GOT SOMEONE 2680

90 MEAN EVERYONE 2673

91 KEEPING EVERYONE 2657

92 INVITE EVERYONE 2651
93 KNOW SOMEBODY 2622
94 KNOWS SOMEONE 2621

95 CALLING SOMEONE 2604

96 SEE SOMEBODY 2555

97 MEANS SOMEONE 2534

98 THOUGHT SOMEONE 2525
99 WATCHING SOMEONE 2503
100 ALLOW EVERYONE 2477


_II someone|everyone|somebody|everybody

1 FOR EVERYONE 327458
2 FOR SOMEONE 203858
3 TO EVERYONE 186550
4 TO SOMEONE 175300
5 WITH SOMEONE 128498
6 OF SOMEONE 90103


7 BY SOMEONE 66686

Arabic,Male,5,g

Then he realized that his house was entered by someone.

*’someone entered his house’ is more natural.  And the A2 grammar is hidden under the B1 Passive.


8 FROM SOMEONE 61626
9 WITH EVERYONE 53677
10 OF EVERYONE 50970
11 FOR EVERYBODY 34815
12 LIKE EVERYONE 31697
13 LIKE SOMEONE 28674
14 ON SOMEONE 28382
15 BY EVERYONE 23639
16 IN SOMEONE 20422
17 FROM EVERYONE 19945
18 TO EVERYBODY 18497
19 ABOUT SOMEONE 18417
20 ON EVERYONE 18142
21 TO SOMEBODY 14372
22 FOR SOMEBODY 13086
23 AT SOMEONE 10786
24 IN EVERYONE 10495
25 WITH SOMEBODY 9547
26 INTO SOMEONE 8416
27 OF SOMEBODY 7109
28 WITH EVERYBODY 7072
29 OF EVERYBODY 7034
30 LIKE EVERYBODY 6927

31 AGAINST SOMEONE 5351

32 BY SOMEBODY 4978
33 FROM SOMEBODY 4569
34 ABOUT EVERYONE 4528
35 AT EVERYONE 4038


36 WITHOUT SOMEONE 3660

Arabic,Female,3,w

Life without someone who cares and loves you with unconditional love is just like an empty world.


37 LIKE SOMEBODY 3546
38 ON EVERYBODY 3202
39 ON SOMEBODY 3156
40 AS SOMEONE 3072
41 FROM EVERYBODY 3018
42 BY EVERYBODY 2790
43 OVER SOMEONE 2223
44 IN SOMEBODY 2169
45 IN EVERYBODY 1956

46 THROUGH SOMEONE 1949

47 ABOUT SOMEBODY 1822
48 BETWEEN SOMEONE 1761
49 AFTER SOMEONE 1478
50 OVER EVERYONE 1458
51 AROUND SOMEONE 1439
52 AT SOMEBODY 1367

53 ACROSS SOMEONE 1329

54 AGAINST EVERYONE 1284
55 AS EVERYONE 1276
56 ONTO SOMEONE 1265
57 ABOUT EVERYBODY 1109
58 INTO EVERYONE 1057
59 ABOVE EVERYONE 1055
60 TOWARDS SOMEONE 1051
61 THAN SOMEONE 1042
62 BEHIND SOMEONE 1030
63 INTO SOMEBODY 1010
64 UNDER SOMEONE 948
65 AT EVERYBODY 802
66 UPON SOMEONE 774

67 OFF SOMEONE 714

68 BETWEEN EVERYONE 708
69 WITHOUT EVERYONE 635
70 TOWARD SOMEONE 632
71 BEHIND EVERYONE 608
72 AGAINST SOMEBODY 608
73 THROUGH EVERYONE 594

74 AMONG EVERYONE 587

75 DESPITE EVERYONE 546
76 UPON EVERYONE 537
77 AFTER EVERYONE 498
78 BEFORE SOMEONE 492

79 INCLUDING EVERYONE 475

80 TOWARDS EVERYONE 474
81 WITHOUT SOMEBODY 455
82 VERSUS SOMEONE 446
83 OFF EVERYONE 437
84 WITHIN EVERYONE 425

85 ALONE SOMEONE 380

86 PLUS EVERYONE 378

87 AROUND EVERYONE 371

88 INCLUDING SOMEONE 371
89 INSIDE SOMEONE 364
90 ALONGSIDE SOMEONE 327
91 BEFORE EVERYONE 306
92 UP EVERYONE 295
93 AGAINST EVERYBODY 294
94 ONTO EVERYONE 287
95 PAST SOMEONE 279
96 TOWARD EVERYONE 268
97 NEAR SOMEONE 263

98 OVER EVERYBODY 254

99 PAST EVERYONE 253
100 AMONGST EVERYONE 240


A2:

across, against, alone, among, around, believe, bring, by, call, calling, hope, hoping, hurt, including, keep, keeping, kill, let, mean, means, off, over, plus,  suit, thank, through, wish, without

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