[Grammar] Indefinite pronouns

[Meja]

Hello, Teacher,

I am a bit confused about indefinite pronouns. I would like to know if there is any difference in meaning between "-one"(someone, anyone, no one...) and "-body"(somebody, anybody...) pronouns, apart from the fact that the former are considered to be more formal.
I was told that "-one" pronouns can be a bit more specific and precise and that "-body" pronouns are more "generic," i.e. that we would use someone or anyone if we refer to someone from a known group of people while we would choose somebody or anybody if we want to say that it can be any person in the world, but I am not sure if this explanation is correct.

Thanks

 

[Meja]

In addition, I would like to know if no-one is a correct way of spelling this pronoun (I came across it in some books), beside no one?

 

[Barb_D]

I honestly can't tell you that I apply any logic at all in choosing to say "someone/somebody" or "anyone/anybody."
Let's say someone came up to you on the street ...
Let's say somebody came up to you on the street...
Those are both exactly the same.

I always write "no one."

 

[Rover_KE]

Meja, click here and you'll see that some dictionaries accept no-one.

(Bookmark the OneLook site for future reference.)

 

[emsr2d2]

Until I joined this forum, I always used "no-one". The first time I used it in a post here, so many people (native speakers and learners) queried it that I did some research and now use "no one".

Even though some people accept it, I still don't like "noone" as I always read it as a misspelling of "noon". I note that it is listed as a "non-standard spelling of no-one" in some dictionaries.

 

[Meja]

Hello emsr2d2,

I have also come across "noone" a couple of times, but I have seen "no-one" many times in my English books. That's why I concluded that it should be correct, yet I have never seen it used in modern books and while chatting with native speakers, so I thought it may be old-fashioned and no longer in use....

 

[MikeNewYork]

In my opinion, "noone" is incorrect. "No-one is possible, but I think "no one" is more common.

https://books.google.com/ngrams/gra...;,noone;,c0;.t1;,no one;,c0;.t1;,no - one;,c0

 

[Meja]

What about my initial question and my problem with the difference between the "-one" and the "-body" indefinite pronouns?

I used the same method of checking as you, and according to this chart it seems that "-one" pronouns are more often used now than in the past and that they are much more used than their "-body" equivalents.
https://books.google.com/ngrams/gra...body;,c0;.t1;,everyone;,c0;.t1;,everybody;,c0

 

[MikeNewYork]

The Ngram demonstrates a difference in usage frequency, but I see no difference in meaning.

 

[emsr2d2]

I find no difference between "anyone/anybody" or "someone/somebody" and use them all. I don't think I use any conscious method to decide which one to use.