Definitions
- Referring to an indefinite person or people in general. - Asking a question about someone's identity or presence. - Talking about a person who is not specific or known.
- Referring to an unspecified person or people in general. - Asking a question about someone's identity or presence. - Talking about a person who is not specific or known.
List of Similarities
- 1Both refer to an unspecified person or people.
- 2Both can be used to ask questions about someone's identity or presence.
- 3Both are pronouns that can replace a specific person's name.
What is the difference?
- 1Usage: Anybody is more commonly used in negative or interrogative sentences, while somebody is more commonly used in positive sentences.
- 2Negation: Anybody is often used with negative words like 'not' or 'nobody', while somebody is not typically used with negative words.
- 3Emphasis: Anybody emphasizes the idea of any person or anyone, while somebody emphasizes the idea of a specific person or someone.
- 4Formality: Anybody is slightly more formal than somebody, which is more commonly used in everyday language.
- 5Frequency: Somebody is more frequently used than anybody in everyday conversation.
Remember this!
Anybody and somebody are synonyms that both refer to an unspecified person or people. The main difference between them lies in their usage and emphasis. Anybody is commonly used in negative or interrogative sentences and emphasizes the idea of any person or anyone. On the other hand, somebody is more commonly used in positive sentences and emphasizes the idea of a specific person or someone.
