Is everyone singular or plural?

The Singular Struggle: Why “Everyone” Takes a Singular Verb

The seemingly simple question of whether “everyone” is singular or plural trips up even seasoned writers. While intuitively, “everyone” might feel like a plural because it refers to a group, grammatically, it’s unequivocally singular. Understanding why is key to writing clear and correct English.

The confusion stems from the inherent duality of indefinite pronouns like “everyone,” “everybody,” “anyone,” “anybody,” “someone,” “somebody,” “no one,” and “nobody.” These words represent unspecified individuals within a larger group, yet they don’t explicitly name multiple people. They operate as a collective singularity, referring to each individual member of the group separately but as a single unit for grammatical purposes.

Consider the sentence: “Everyone is responsible for their own actions.” Using the plural verb “are” would be grammatically incorrect. While the sentence refers to multiple people, the grammatical subject, “everyone,” represents each person individually as a singular entity bearing responsibility. The pronoun “their” is a more modern and inclusive choice here; debating its usage is a different linguistic discussion altogether.

The core principle at play is subject-verb agreement. The verb must agree in number with its subject. Since “everyone” is grammatically singular, it demands a singular verb. This rule remains consistent even when the implied group is large. “Everyone in the stadium is cheering” is correct, not “Everyone in the stadium are cheering.”

However, the ambiguity can lead to awkward phrasing. The singular pronoun “his or her” used to be the standard for situations like this, but its inherent exclusion of non-binary individuals has prompted a shift towards more inclusive language. Using “their” as a singular pronoun, while still debated in some formal settings, has gained widespread acceptance as a more practical solution to this grammatical conundrum.

In conclusion, despite referring to multiple people, “everyone” and similar indefinite pronouns are grammatically singular. Maintaining subject-verb agreement by using singular verbs is essential for clear and correct writing. The evolution of pronoun usage highlights the ongoing tension between grammatical rules and the need for inclusive language, demonstrating the ever-evolving nature of the English language.