Page 573 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford
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Somebody normally refers to only one person. Compare: There's somebody outside who wants to talk to you. There are some people outside who want to talk to you.
use of they
They, them and their are often used with a singular meaning to refer back to somebody etc (see 528).
Ifanybody wants a ticket for the concert, they can get it from my office. There's somebody at the door. - Tell them I'm busy.
Someone left their umbrella on the bus. Nobody phoned, did they?
complementation: somebody nice, etc
Somebody etc can be followed by adjectives or adverbial expressions. I hope he marries somebody nice.
She's going to meet someone in the Ministry.
I feel like eating something hot.
Let's go somewhere quiet this weekend. They can also be followed by else (see 183).
Mary - are you in love with somebody else?
I don't like this place -let's go somewhere else.
Note also the informal use of much after any- and no-.
We didn't do anything much yesterday. There's nothing much on 1V tonight.
someplace
Someplace is common in informal American English. Let's go someplace quiet.
anyone and anyone; evelYone and evelY one
Anyone means the same as anybody, anyone means 'any single one (person or thing)'. Compare:
Does anyone know where Celia lives? You can borrow any one book at a time.
There is a similar difference between everyone and every one. Compare: Everyone had a good time at the party.
There aren't any cakes left - they've eaten every one.
For the difference between no one and none, see 380. For question tags after everything and nothing, see 488. For some time, sometime and sometimes, see 549.
some time. sometime and sometimes
Some time (with two stresses: /,slI.m 'tarm/) means 'quite a long time'. I'm afraid it'll take some time to repair your car.
She's lived in Italy for some time, so she speaks Italian quite welL
Sometime (/,SlI.IDtann/) refers to an indefinite time, usually in the future; it often means 'one day'. It can also be written as two words: some time.
Let's have dinner together sometime next week.
When will I get married - this year, next year, sometime, never? ~
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some time, sometime and sometimes 549
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