Everyone,everybody,everythingandeverywhereare indefinite pronouns.
We use them to refer to a total number of people, things and places. We write them as one word:
His name was Henry buteveryonecalled him Harry.
All your clothes are clean. I washedeverythingyesterday.
The sand goteverywhere, into eyes, hair, tents, cups of tea, camera lenses.
We useeveryone,everybody,everythingandeverywherewith singular verbs:
Everybodyknows the truth.
At night, with the lights shining on the water,everythinglooks different.
We couldn’t get a seat.Everywherewas so crowded.
We don’t addstoeverythingto make it plural:
Children can buyeverythingthey want.
Not:Children can buy everythings they want.
When we want to refer back toeveryoneoreverybodyand we don’t know if everyone is male or female, we usehim or herandhis or her. In informal styles, we use plural pronounsthey, theirandthem:
Everybodyhas a team leader in charge of him or her.
Not everyonehas his or her own desk.
Everyonehas to climb to the top. When they get to the top, they have to blow their whistle.(more informal)
Haseveryonegot their coats?(more informal)
We can useeverybodyandeveryoneas the subject of imperative clauses. We use the base form of the verb:
Everybodystand up!
Everyoneandeverybody
Everyoneandeverybodymean the same.Everyoneis a little more formal thaneverybody.Everyoneis used more in writing thaneverybody:
She kneweverybodyin the room.
Couldeverybodylisten for a minute?
Wheneveryonehad gathered in the garden, Sergeant joined them and said, ‘Welcome,everyone!’
See also:
Pronouns: indefinite (-body, -one, -thing, -where)
Typical error
We writeeveryoneas one word:
Twenty years agoeveryoneused an alarm clock that rang like a bell.(every person)
Not:Twenty years ago every one used an alarm clock…
We don’t normally use ‘all people’ to generalise about human beings:
Everyone has a right to basic freedoms.
See also:
Every oneoreveryone?