Indefinite pronoun number
SAT glossary · Course Foundations
Definition
Each, either, neither, everyone, anybody, no one, one are always singular; both, few, many, several always plural; all, any, most, none, some take their number from the object of 'of' (most of the water is / most of the samples are) — the one place you must look inside a prepositional phrase.
Indefinite pronoun number in plain English
Indefinite pronouns are words that refer to an unspecified person or amount, and English has strict, non-negotiable rules for whether they count as singular or plural. Each, either, neither, everyone, anybody, no one, and one are ALWAYS singular, no matter how the sentence feels. Both, few, many, and several are ALWAYS plural. But all, any, most, none, and some are special — their number actually depends on whatever noun follows them in an 'of' phrase (like 'most of the water IS' being singular, but 'most of the samples ARE' being plural) — meaning this is the one and only situation where you actually have to look INSIDE a prepositional phrase to determine the correct verb.
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