Learn English – Difference between ‘anybody’, ‘somebody’, ‘someone’, ‘nobody’

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What is the difference between anybody,somebody,someone,nobody? And when should we use one or another of them?

It's a bit confusing to me.

Example:

Does (anybody/somebody/someone/nobody) want a game of tennis ?

Best Answer

Does (anybody/somebody/someone) want a game of tennis?

The words "somebody" and "someone" are essentially identical and can be used interchangeably. This applies to the words "anybody" and "anyone" as well. This answer explains the differences between "anyone" and "someone".

In this particular case, "Does anyone..." is the more common phrasing.

Google Ngram Viewer is a useful tool for determining which word appears more commonly in literature. "someone" occurred more frequently than "somebody" in each year after 1920:

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Does nobody want a game of tennis?

This sentence assumes that nobody wants to play tennis and asks if anyone will deny that this is true. It may also imply disbelief that nobody wants a game of tennis. Although correct, the more common phrasing of this question would be:

Doesn't anybody want a game of tennis?

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