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09/10/2021

A LOOK AT COMPOUND SENTENCES ...

English has four types of sentence structures: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex. In this review, we'll discuss what a compound sentence is.

"A compound sentence is one that includes at least two independent clauses that are connected by a conjunction and a comma or by a semicolon."

EXAMPLES —

(Ricky went to the park on his bike,) (and Bobby went on
his skateboard.)

(I would like a black pen,) (but Vanessa would like a
blue one.)

(They haven't said who the new superintendent will be;)
(they will announce it tomorrow.)

Each main (independent) clause in the examples is isolated within brackets. In the first two sentences, the independent clauses are each joined by a coordinating conjunction (and, but). In the third example, the two main clauses are connected by a semicolon.

Let's look at a couple more examples to reinforce what a compound sentence is:

(Aileen works for a pharmacy,) (and Chinaka works at
a research facility.)

(The Chicago Cubs won the World Series in 2016;) (it was
their first since 1908.)

In this first example, two main clauses are joined by the coordinating conjunction 'and'. In the second example, two main clauses are connected by a semicolon.

COMPOUND SENTENCE: Discern From Compound Predicate —

In understanding what a compound sentence is, it's important that we not confuse a compound sentence with a compound predicate.

As we've discussed, a COMPOUND SENTENCE has two separate main clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon. A COMPOUND PREDICATE, on the other hand, involves two or more actions (verbs) performed by the same sentence subject within the same clause.

· Compound Sentence ...
(Shane drove a Chevy Impala in 1976,) (and he washed it
every week.)

· Compound Predicate ...
(Shane drove a Chevy Impala and washed it every week
in 1976.

In the first sentence, we describe two actions as two separate main clauses. In the second sentence, we have one subject (Shane) performing two actions (drove and washed) within a single main clause; this is an example of a compound predicate.

Let's consider one more comparison for good measure:

· Compound Sentence ...
(Wanda studies forensic science,) (but she wants to be
a veterinarian.)

· Compound Predicate ...
(Wanda studies forensic science but wants to be
a veterinarian.)

In the first example, two main clauses joined by a conjunction express two separate thoughts as a compound sentence. In the second example, the same sentence subject (Wanda) performs both actions (studies and wants) in the same main clause.

COMPOUND SENTENCE: Avoid Loose Constructions —

As writers of English, we want to communicate with precision and eloquence. Expressing ourselves with succinct constructions helps to achieve this.

For good technique, we should avoid writing compound sentences that become aimless and loose. A common cause is stringing together multiple clauses rather than dividing them for clarity, pacing, and focus.

EXAMPLES –

Judith visited her aunt, and they had tea, but they also
played backgammon, and then Judith kissed her good-bye.

This sentence is a wandering report of what transpired between Judith and her aunt. We could improve it in a few different ways:

Judith visited her aunt for tea. They played backgammon,
and then Judith kissed her good-bye.

Judith visited her aunt to have tea and play backgammon.
Afterward, Judith kissed her good-bye.

Judith visited her aunt. They had tea and played
backgammon, and then Judith kissed her good-bye.

Be mindful of your sentence structure, and be sure to take every opportunity to tighten up your writing. I'll leave you with that final compound sentence.

(... The Grammar Book ...)

23/09/2021

RELATIVE PRONOUNS ... WHAT ARE THEY?

English includes different kinds of pronouns, such as personal, demonstrative, reflexive, possessive, indefinite, and interrogative pronouns. In this review, we’ll take a closer look at relative pronouns.

A relative pronoun substitutes for a noun to introduce a subordinate (dependent) clause, which is one that must be joined with an independent (main) clause to complete the sentence in which it appears.

A dependent clause led by a relative pronoun is also referred to as a relative clause. You might hear it called an adjective clause as well because it tells us more about a noun— the pronoun’s antecedent—in the main clause.

The relative pronouns are that, which, who, whom, and whose. They typically refer to people, places, animals, things, or ideas.

EXAMPLES ...

· He has a daughter who is a talented ice skater.

· I want the car that gets the best mileage per gallon.

· Sheila held tightly to the dog whose companionship
had never waned.

Each sentence has a subordinate clause marked by a relative pronoun that further describes a noun (daughter > who, car > that, dog > whose).

INDEFINITE RELATIVE PRONOUNS ...

Some relative pronouns do not modify a noun antecedent; rather, they operate as indefinite relative pronouns that introduce a clause functioning as a subject or object noun. Indefinite relative pronouns include words such as what, where, whoever, whomever, whichever, and whatever.

EXAMPLES ...

· What she wants is fine with me.

· Carla asked Tanille where she went for dinner.

· Aaron wants the boat so much he said he’s willing to
pay whatever they ask for it.

In the first sentence, what subordinates the clause what she wants. The entire relative clause what she wants is the subject of the sentence.

In the second sentence, where subordinates the clause where she went for dinner. The entire relative clause where she went for dinner is the direct object of the sentence.

In the third sentence, whatever subordinates the clause whatever they ask for it. The entire relative clause whatever they ask for it is the object of the infinitive to pay.

RELATIVE PRONOUNS: TIGHTER, SMOOTHER WRITING ...

Relative pronouns help us write content that is less choppy and more smooth and united.

CHOPPY: Wanda has a son. Her son is a superior athlete.
REVISED: Wanda has a son who is a superior athlete.

CHOPPY: I'm looking for a baseball bat. The bat can't have pine tar on it.
REVISED: I'm looking for a baseball bat that doesn't have pine tar on it.

CHOPPY: You'll find my sweaters in the closet. All of my sweaters are green.
REVISED: You'll find my sweaters, which are green, in the closet.

We see in each example that including a subordinate clause with a relative pronoun modifying an antecedent results in shorter sentences and often greater movement.

RELATIVE PRONOUNS:
ESSENTIAL VS. NONESSENTIAL CLAUSES ...

When writing with relative pronouns, keep in mind the difference between essential and nonessential clauses:

An essential (restrictive) clause is one that includes information that is important to clarity and understanding.

A nonessential (nonrestrictive) clause is one that adds information that is descriptive but not necessary.

COMPARE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES:

· The box that Priscilla gave me contained the classified
bank codes.

· The box, which Priscilla gave me, contained the classified
bank codes.

In the first sentence, we refer to a specific box; there could be others, but this is the one containing the bank codes. We establish this essential information by using the relative pronoun that without surrounding punctuation (commas).

In the second example, the relative clause is set apart from the rest of the sentence in a parenthetical way. The relative pronoun which surrounded by punctuating commas tells us this is extra information about only one box being referred to; there are no others. Removing the relative clause would not alter the core information we need to clearly convey.

RELATIVE PRONOUNS: KEEP THEM CLOSE ...

When we’re using relative pronouns in subordinate clauses, it’s important that we keep the relative pronoun as close to its antecedent as possible. In many cases, this means using the relative pronoun right after the noun it is describing.

EXAMPLE ...

· I handed the book to the policeman that Janelle gave me.

Could Janelle have given away a policeman? Maybe. The more likely scenario involved the giving of the book. Keeping the relative pronoun "that", close to its antecedent, book, results in a clearer sentence: I handed the book that Janelle gave me to the policeman.

In other instances, simply rewriting the sentence will ensure proper clarity.

EXAMPLE ...

· The vanity mirror in the bathroom, which is an antique,
has been with my family for generations.

In this sentence, the relative pronoun appears to modify the word bathroom. Was the bathroom an antique? We probably meant that the vanity mirror was an heirloom.

We can revise the sentence effectively without a relative pronoun: The antique vanity mirror in the bathroom has been with my family for generations.

09/09/2021

WHY ARE COMMAS SO CONFOUNDING?

The comma is a tiny punctuation mark that packs a lot of punch. Commas separate parts of a sentence, such as clauses or items. They can indicate pauses or just help to clear up the meaning of a phrase. However, it’s easy to get confused when it comes to setting commas in just the right place. From comma splices to serial commas, we review some of the most common comma errors.

INTRODUCTORY WORDS ...

Let’s start at the very beginning. When starting a sentence with a dependent clause or introductory word, use a comma.

EXAMPLES:

"No, I don’t want any pie."

"On Tuesday, Mark is coming over."

"Depending on the weather, we’re going to the beach."

Commas can often indicate a short pause, and that’s what’s happening here. The comma also subtly signals to the reader that the introductory part of the sentence is over.

A comma here also helps avoid confusion. Take the sentence, “After eating, my brother went home.” Without the comma, the sentence has an awkward start with “After eating my brother...” Luckily, the comma indicates the brother left.

THE COMMA SPLICE ...

When a comma connects two independent clauses with no coordinating conjunction in between, it’s called a “comma splice.”

"Diana went to the movies, she bought popcorn."

The comma separates the two halves of the sentence, but each of these halves could stand independently. For example, “Diana went to the movies” and “She bought popcorn” each make grammatical sense as statements by themselves. That means they don’t need to be linked together by the comma.

There are several ways to fix a comma splice. The first way is by adding a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so):

"Diana went to the movies, and she bought popcorn."

The comma could be changed to a semicolon:
"Diana went to the movies; she bought popcorn."

Finally, each independent clause could be its own sentence:
"Diana went to the movies. She bought popcorn."

THE OXFORD COMMA ...

Also known as the “serial comma,” the Oxford comma is the sometimes-optional final comma in a list of things. For example, the comma after “milk” in the below sentence:

"Gordon bought bread, milk, and eggs at the grocery store."

Some style guides insist on the Oxford comma, and others think it’s no big deal. But, neglecting to use it can lead to some serious misunderstandings:

"I’m having breakfast with my parents, Beyonce and Jay-Z."

The lack of an Oxford comma in this sentence makes its meaning ambiguous. Is the speaker having breakfast with four people — Mom, Dad, Beyonce, and Jay-Z? Or are their parents actually Beyonce and Jay-Z? Inquiring minds want to know. A final comma in the series would clear up the confusion.

FANBOYS ...

No, this rule doesn’t have anything to do with Star Wars or Marvel fandoms. “FANBOYS” is a mnemonic device. It stands for For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, and So. These are the seven coordinating conjunctions. When joining two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction, use a comma.

"I played basketball, but I could never win a gold medal."

"The trap door opened, and I fell to the ground."

"That snake is creepy, so I don’t want to hold it."

Remember, the comma comes between two independent clauses. That means these two parts of the sentence could stand on their own. “I played basketball” and “I could never win a gold medal” could make sense as independent statements. The coordinating conjunction “but” along with the comma helps glue them together into one streamlined thought.

Be on the lookout for FAKE FANBOYS like “however,” “therefore,” and “moreover.” These conjunctions usually require a semicolon when they join two independent clauses.

QUOTATION MARKS ...

Whether quoting the President of the United States or your next-door neighbor, commas and quotation marks can be confusing. The rule here is straightforward. In AMERICAN English, commas go INSIDE the quotation mark:

“Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans,”
said John Lennon.

The rule is slightly different in BRITISH English — put commas OUTSIDE the quotation marks across the pond. And don’t forget to drive on the left side of the road.

It's important to understand how the incorrect usage of commas is one of the fastest giveaways that the writer has only a passing acquaintance with the rules of grammar. Don't be that writer ...

06/09/2021

THE SQUINTING MODIFIER – And How To Avoid Them ...

One of the many grammatical stumbling blocks that trip up even experienced writers is a little thing called “squinting modifiers.” These words and phrases hide inside prose, making sentences sound confused or ambiguous.

When an adverb or phrase is placed in a sentence so that it can be interpreted as modifying either the words before or after it, then it’s called a “squinting modifier.” Take a look at this example:

Running long distances quickly builds my endurance.

It’s a little hard to tell what this sentence means. Is the person running long distances quickly? Or quickly building their endurance? The squinting modifier here is the word “quickly.” Its position in the sentence makes the meaning murky. Here are some more examples:

Taking time to think clearly improves your test scores.

Helping people often brings pride.

I told my grandma this morning I would visit.

Squinting modifiers are always sandwiched between two words or phrases. That’s why they’re sometimes called “two-way modifiers.”

Other misplaced modifiers don’t need to be between two words and phrases. For example, take this famous joke from comedian Groucho Marx:

"One morning, I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got into my pajamas, I'll never know!"

In this case, the ambiguity of the misplaced phrase “in my pajamas” is being played for laughs. But, typically, misplaced modifiers do only one thing — confuse a sentence. They make the meaning ambiguous or wrong and should be avoided, unless you’re Groucho Marx.

HOW TO FIX A SQUINTING MODIFIER ...

When speaking, squinting modifiers are rarely an issue because you can convey the meaning with your voice and tone ... but writing is a different story.

It may be hard for writers to spot squinting modifiers in their own work. Of course, as the author, you know what you mean. Readers will get confused more easily. Pay attention to adverbs and be wary of words like “only” and “often,” which can subtly change the meaning of a sentence.

Once you spot a squinting modifier, you can usually fix it by rearranging the words in the sentence.

Bad: Having a baby often changes your life.

Better: Often, having a baby changes your life.

Bad: Beating eggs rapidly creates a whipped foam.

Better: Rapidly beating eggs creates a whipped foam.

It can help to read your work out loud or ask a trusted friend to proofread for you. You will want to be sure that you’re communicating your intended meaning without resorting to squinting modifiers.

17/08/2021

8 SURPRISING RULES ABOUT CAPITALIZATION ...

The rules of capitalization have changed over time — Old English didn’t even use lowercase and capital letters. Emily Dickinson capitalized random words in her poems to give them emphasis. Even the preamble to the U.S. Constitution capitalizes common nouns such as “People,” “Order,” “Union,” “Justice,” and “Tranquility.” Modern capitalization rules are much more restrictive, but also have tons of weird exceptions. Here are eight capitalization rules you should know.

1. PRONOUNS ...

The only pronoun that ever gets capitalized mid-sentence is “I.” Perhaps because a tiny lowercase “i” would look a bit sad by itself, but other short pronouns — he, she, it, or we — stay lowercase, unless at the beginning of a sentence.

The exception to this rule? When talking about God. Some writers will capitalize pronouns — or any words — that refer to God. This is called “reverential capitalization.” There is no hard and fast rule about this type of capitalization. While many religious texts do it, several significant style guides advise against it.

2. PLACE NAMES ...

Traveling the world can be fun, and luckily, the capitalization rules are pretty easy on the road. Place names are proper nouns, and they should always be capitalized. Sounds pretty simple.

But there is an exception to even this rule. Some items and adjectives are inspired by places and regions, but no longer depend on the original proper noun for their meaning. Then, the word isn’t capitalized.

That’s why you eat a plate of “french fries,” live the unconventional life of a “bohemian” artist, dine using “fine china,” and snack on “buffalo wings.”

3. FAMILY NAMES ...

Families can be tricky — so can capitalizing names within the family. Always capitalize the titles of relatives when the title is replacing the proper name.

EXAMPLES:

"I’m telling Mom!"
"We’re going to the park with Uncle Don."
"Next summer, Grandma is coming to visit."

If referring to the relative — not directly addressing them — then their familial designation should be lowercase. Typically, there will be an article or possessive pronoun in front of the title.

"My cousin loves cotton candy."
"Grace asked her father if she could go to the mall."
"You’re the kind of brother who always keeps an eye on his siblings."

4. TITLES ...

Honors and awards are nice, especially when they come with fancy titles—and even fancier rules for capitalization. Typically, titles that come before names are capitalized.

For example, you could invite “Judge Wilson” to the gala. But you could also invite “a local judge, Jessica Wilson,” to the gala.
“Doctor Thompson” is an excellent doctor, and “Professor Grant” is a history professor at the local college."

In some settings, people will want their titles capitalized at all times. For example, Joe Smith is the “Executive Director,” and Jane Johnson is the “Chairperson.” This capitalization is technically incorrect, but probably not worth fighting about with someone higher in rank at your organization.

5. REGIONS OR DIRECTIONS ...

It’s often hard enough to get where you need to go without worrying about capitalizing along the way. When talking about a region, the word should always be capitalized. The same goes if it’s a group of people from that area.

EXAMPLES:

"We’re taking a trip to the South of France."
"I put ranch dressing on everything—I’m a Midwesterner."
"Georgia and Alabama are Southern states."

But when describing directions on a compass, those should be lowercase. The same is true if a directional word is part of a description.

EXAMPLES:

"The map says to drive west for 20 miles."
"The northern lights are so beautiful."
"The weather forecast says warm southern winds are coming."

6. DAYS OF THE WEEKS, MONTHS AND SEASONS ...

Time is a funny thing, and it has even funnier capitalization rules. While the days of the week and months of the year are considered proper nouns that should be capitalized, the seasons of the year aren’t. To be fair, we don’t capitalize every period of time (like morning, afternoon, or night), so it makes sense that seasons don’t make the cut either.

EXAMPLES:

You can enjoy a warm “summer” day at the end of June. Or watch the snowfall on a “Tuesday” in the middle of the “winter.” Or even rake leaves in “September” during “autumn,” your favorite season.

7. PERIODS IN HISTORY ...

Depending on what dictionary or style guide you are referencing, there may be conflicting information about capitalizing the names of ages in history, time periods, and centuries.

EXAMPLES:

"Artists created masterpieces during the Renaissance."
"Jazz music emerged during the Roaring Twenties."
"My dining room furniture is from the colonial period."

All of these could be correct. The most important thing is to pick a style and keep it consistent. Don’t refer to “ancient Greece” in one paragraph and “Ancient Greece” in the next.

The names of centuries should never be capitalized. These periods are always written in lowercase, as the “17th century” or the “ninth century” — unless at the beginning of a sentence, or as part of a proper noun name, such as the Nineteenth-Century Teacup Appreciation Association.

8. RACIAL OR ETHNIC GROUPS ...

In 2020, the Associated Press announced that it would capitalize the word “Black” when referring to people who identify as such in a racial, ethnic, or cultural sense. The same goes for other racial and ethnic identifiers, such as Latinx, Asian, Native American, or Indigenous. When discussing the color black — as in black cats, black beans, and black licorice — lowercase would still be correct.
.. if you follow these examples, your writing will increase in clarity and improve in style. Good luck!

09/07/2021

WHEN TO USE "WHICH" vs "THAT" ...

“Which” and “that” are both relative pronouns, meaning they can refer to related or previously mentioned nouns. In order to understand what these two parts of speech have in common, let’s spell out the difference between a 'restrictive clause' and a 'non-restrictive clause'.

A restrictive clause adds need-to-know information to a sentence; without that clause, the sentence may be incomplete or hard to understand.

EXAMPLE: The album that came out after her child was born changed her musical style.

However, a NON-restrictive clause works like a conversational aside; you may be providing context or added information, but the sentence is still clear and complete without it.

EXAMPLE: The band’s first album, which was my favorite, had great backup singers.

Part of the reason it feels so easy to mix up “which” and “that” when writing is because they both can convey important contextual information. “That” is most commonly used with a restrictive clause, while “which” is usually in non-restrictive clauses.

WRITER'S TIP: If you need a comma, “which” is almost always the appropriate choice. Commas set off information that, when removed, the sentence in which it appeared will still make sense.

EXAMPLE: The band’s first album had great backup singers.

USING "THAT" AS ALTERNATIVE PARTS OF SPEECH –

When used in restrictive and non-restrictive clauses, “that” and “which” function as pronouns. But “that” especially can perform as other parts of speech in different sentence constructions.

“That” can be a determiner or a definite article, which refers to a specific noun. (See how “which” needs the comma for the non-restrictive clause in the previous sentence?)

EXAMPLE: That is my favorite album of all time.

“That” could also work as a conjunction, connecting two clauses.

EXAMPLE: I didn’t know that it was their first time performing together.

And finally, “that” can be used as an adverb to add context before an adjective or verb.

EXAMPLE: I don’t want to spend that much money on tickets.

When it comes to using “that” and “which” correctly, context is everything. Do you have to stick to all grammar rules? That’s up to you. Many grammar rules are worth breaking — as long as you realize it when you’re breaking them.

(... wordgenius)

29/06/2021

CHOOSING WHEN TO USE "LAY" versus "LIE" ...

Imagine your friends are over for a movie night, and they’ve brought a tray of brownies to share. You take the platter from them — but do you tell them you’re going to "lie" it down or "lay" it down? And will you all "lie" down to watch the movie, or "lay" down? It's an age-old question: What is the actual difference between "lay" and "lie"? When do you use one over the other?

WHY ARE "LAY" AND "LIE" SO CONFUSING? —

To clarify: We're not talking about the kind of lie you might tell when you call out of work or don’t finish your homework on time. We’re talking only about the setting/reclining meaning of the verb.

"Lay" and "lie" are often confused because both words are about people or objects positioned horizontally on a surface. But they are used to refer to very different scenarios.

It can be quite simple — if you’re in the present tense. The past tense is when things really get confusing, since the past tense of "lie" is "lay" (sorry). But don’t worry, we’ll give you a few easy tips to help you along.

WHEN TO USE "LAY" VS. "LIE" —

"Lay" is a transitive verb. Transitive means that you have an object that is being acted upon. So "lay" means to set down or place something — an object — in a horizontal position. Here’s an example in the present tense: “I lay the book on the nightstand.” In this instance, the book is the object that is having something done to it.

"Lie" is an intransitive verb, meaning the object doesn’t need something else to put it down. Instead, the person or subject is doing the action. "Lie" means to stay at rest in a horizontal position, or to recline. An example of "lie" in present tense would be, “I feel the wind as I lie in my backyard on the grass.” In this example, the person is performing the action rather than having the action done to them.

So, in the PRESENT tense, the simplest way to determine which word to use is by looking at what is actually being reclined. If the reclining object is inanimate and/or requires someone to put it down, use "lay." If the object is self-sufficient, such as a person, use "lie." Quick memory tip: Only a person can lie on a bed and tell a lie!

Let’s tackle the PAST tense of each, since that’s where there’s the most opportunity to pick the wrong word.

"I ____ my clothes out last night before I went to bed."

Which one is it — "lay" or "lie"? Here’s how to tell: Is something happening to an object? Yep! The clothes are being set out. That tells us that we need the verb "lay," in the past tense "laid."

"I laid my clothes out last night before I went to bed."

Now ... what about the past tense of "lie"?

"I heard a noise coming from the basement, as I ____ on the sofa watching a horror movie."

In this example, there is not a specific action being performed upon an object. Rather, the speaker (the subject) is doing the action. This means we need the past tense of "lie," which (confusingly) is "lay."

"I heard a noise coming from the basement, as I lay on the
sofa watching a horror movie."

Still confused? Don't worry. You won't get reprimanded too much if you mix these up in verbal conversation. But for written communication, it helps to practice with examples so you can be confident in your word choice.
.. GrammarBook ...

12/06/2021

LET'S TALK PRONOUNS –

Pronouns are words that replace nouns. "It" is a pronoun that replaces an item, such as a book. "Did you bring your book home? I need to borrow it." Or a pronoun can replace a name. Those are PERSONAL pronouns, such as "he, she, we, they, us, them, etc." There are 23 personal pronouns (and counting!), but we're going to talk about another type of pronoun: INDEFINITE pronoun.

Indefinite pronouns are used when you don't know (or care) what the specific noun is, but you just need to indicate that there is a noun. Indefinite pronouns include: each, either, both, several, neither, nothing. Then there are the indefinite pronoun 'pairs': anybody/anyone, everybody/everyone, nobody/no one, somebody, some one. How do you know which pronoun to use?

Let’s break down the difference between each pronoun pair, along with some examples and mnemonic devices to help you remember which word to use.

Somebody vs. Someone ...

"Somebody" is an indefinite pronoun. It refers to an unnamed, unspecified person. Maybe you know the name, but it isn't relevant to the situation. If you are living in a home with several people, you might say, “Did somebody lock the door?”

You know the names of the people who live with you. But it isn’t important who locked the door. It’s just important that it was done by somebody.

"Someone" is also an indefinite pronoun, but it has a slightly different use. "Someone" is considered to be slightly more formal than "somebody". If you were writing a term paper, or a professional email, it would make more sense to use the word "someone" over "somebody."

EXAMPLES:

"Someone will come get you when the doctor is ready."

"Can somebody bring a bag of ice for the party?"

A helpful trick to remember which word to use is that "someone" has an “n” in it, as does the word "professional." But, "somebody" doesn't have an “n,” and it doesn’t need to be used in more professional settings. Aside from the formal/informal connotations of the two pronouns, they can be used interchangeably.

Nobody vs. No One ...

The distinction between "nobody" and "no one" is the same as the "some" pronouns. The two words are synonyms with slight nuances for the usage of one over the other.

"Nobody" is a pronoun, just like "somebody," and it means not any person. Although "nobody" is generally singular, it's also sometimes used as a plural indefinite pronoun, which just means that it doesn’t specify whether plural or singular, and it doesn’t indicate gender.

EXAMPLE:

“Even though I planned my party months in advance, nobody has RSVP'd yet.”

You could easily substitute “no one” into the above sentence, and it wouldn't change the meaning, aside from indicating that the setting for the sentence was a more formal one.

EXAMPLE:

"No one will be in the office over the holiday weekend."

Bottom Line — Pronoun rules are made to be broken. If you are writing a paper for a professor or a formal letter, "no one" and "someone" might seem more appropriate. However, the "-body" pronouns will still get your meaning across. Also, the same can be said for anyone/anybody and everyone/everybody. In all of these pronoun choices, the words that have “body” in them are more informal.

(... wordgenius ...)

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