Anybody, somebody, everybody, nobody
Is anybody singular?
No, I am not asking whether anybody is without a partner, or if anybody is odd or strange.
I speak grammatically. And the answer is yes. This also applies to everyone, someone, no-one and anyone.
The pronouns anybody, somebody, everybody and nobody are all singular, grammatically speaking. Sentences using these pronouns use the verb forms that are used with singular nouns, like this:
Tom was ready and so was everybody else.
Mary was surprised, but nobody else was surprised.
Was anybody home? No, there wasn't anybody there.
As I walked down the dark street, I felt that somebody was following me. Then I realized that there was somebody behind me: my dog.
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