When many equals one

English is littered with expressions that make no sense when taken literally.

Here’s a very simple thing that trips non-native English speakers up because, well, it just isn’t logical.

Look at these examples:

• There is somebody/someone at the door. NOT are
• Nobody/no one loves me. NOT love
• Does anybody/anyone want to buy a cat? NOT do
• Everybody/Everyone has time now. NOT have

So, in grammar, the following words are all treated as singular:

everybody, somebody, anybody, nobody
everyone, someone, anyone, no one

‘Everyone’ suggests a large group – but grammatically it is ‘it’. It may not make sense, but a rule’s a rule.