Indefinite adjectives come before a noun and give a general meaning instead of a specific one. They refer to nonspecific people, things, or amounts. They help the speaker talk about something without naming an exact person, item, or number.

English uses several indefinite adjectives to show different kinds of nonspecific meaning. Some refer to quantity, some refer to distribution, and some refer to absence. These words are used only when they modify a noun in the noun phrase.

Word or PhrasePalabra o Frase	DefinitionDefinición
somealgunos	It refers to an unspecified number or amount.Se refiere a una cantidad o número no especificado.
anycualquier	It refers to an unspecified person, thing, or amount, often in general meaning.Se refiere a una persona, cosa o cantidad no especificada, a menudo en un sentido general.
noninguno	It shows that not one person, thing, or amount exists.Muestra que no existe ni una persona, cosa o cantidad.
eachcada	It refers to every member separately.Se refiere a cada miembro por separado.
everytodo	It refers to all members of a group as a whole.Se refiere a todos los miembros de un grupo como un todo.
alltodos	It refers to the complete number or amount.Se refiere al número o cantidad completos.
manymuchos	It refers to a large number of countable nouns.Se refiere a una gran cantidad de sustantivos contables.
fewpocos	It refers to a small number of countable nouns.Se refiere a una pequeña cantidad de sustantivos contables.
severalvarios	It refers to more than two but not a large number.Se refiere a más de dos pero no a una cantidad grande.

Some indefinite adjectives are used with countable nouns, some with uncountable nouns, and some with both. Countable nouns have singular and plural forms. Uncountable nouns are usually not counted as separate items.

RuleRegla
Use many, few, several, each, and every with countable nouns.Usar muchos, pocos, varios, cada y todo con sustantivos contables.
Use much and little with uncountable nouns.Usar mucho y poco con sustantivos incontables.
Use some, any, no, and all with both countable and uncountable nouns.Usar algunos, cualquiera, ninguno y todo con sustantivos contables e incontables.

Indefinite adjectives must match the noun pattern that follows them. Some are used only with singular nouns, some with plural nouns, and some with either singular or plural meaning depending on the noun. This agreement is part of correct noun phrase structure.

Rule
Each and every are followed by singular countable nouns.
Many, few, and several are followed by plural countable nouns.
Much and little are followed by uncountable nouns.
Some, any, no, and all take the form that matches the noun after them.

Indefinite adjectives usually appear before the noun they modify. They can come before other describing adjectives in the noun phrase. They form part of the determiner area at the beginning of the noun phrase.

Rule
An indefinite adjective usually comes before the noun.
An indefinite adjective usually comes before descriptive adjectives in the noun phrase.
The indefinite adjective stays close to the noun phrase it modifies.

An indefinite adjective modifies a noun, but an indefinite pronoun replaces a noun. The same word can sometimes do both jobs. The function depends on whether a noun follows the word.

Rule
A word is an indefinite adjective when it comes before a noun.
A word is an indefinite pronoun when it stands alone without a noun.
Words such as some, any, all, and no can be either adjectives or pronouns depending on structure.

Indefinite adjectives do not ask questions. Interrogative adjectives such as what, which, and whose introduce a question and modify a noun. The difference is in meaning and purpose, not only in position.

Word or Phrase	Definition
indefinite adjective	It modifies a noun with a nonspecific meaning.
interrogative adjective	It modifies a noun in a question.
difference	It is based on whether the speaker gives general reference or asks for information.

You can now identify indefinite adjectives and use them to talk about nonspecific people, things, and quantities. You can choose common forms such as some, any, no, each, every, all, many, few, and several. You can also distinguish them from indefinite pronouns and interrogative adjectives, and you can place them correctly in a noun phrase.