Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993.
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
Anyone, anybody, someone, somebody, none, each, either, neither, one, and some other pronouns are called indefinite because they specify no antecedent. Each presents one or more usage problems (for details, see ANYBODY; EACH; EITHER; NEITHER; NOBODY; NONE; SOMEBODY), but all have in common the problem of agreement with following verbs and pronouns and sometimes also with certain direct objects, as in If everybody takes his [their] coat [coats] with him [them], it will save time. Because everybody specifies neither a singular nor a plural antecedent, the following verb, pronoun, and direct object each can be either singular or plural. In fact, most spoken English has long been treating the following pronoun and the direct object as plural in all but the most formal situations; only purists and Edited English have insisted on the generic singular at least for the following pronoun and object. Common and Vulgar English, however, have never followed that dictum, and much Standard English is now increasingly ignoring it, especially in view of the campaign for inclusive language, which objects to the use of the generic masculine singular pronoun as sexist language. The plural is now Standard in all speech and most writing. See THEY.
