This is “Indefinite Adjectives”, section 1.13 (from appendix 1) from the book Writers' Handbook (v. 1.0). For details on it (including licensing), click here.
For more information on the source of this book, or why it is available for free, please see the project's home page. You can browse or download additional books there. To download a .zip file containing this book to use offline, simply click here.
Indefinite adjectives give nonspecific information about a noun. For example, the indefinite article few indicates some, but not an exact amount. Indefinite adjectives are easily confused with indefinite pronouns since they are the same words used differently. An indefinite pronoun replaces a noun. An indefinite adjective precedes a noun or pronoun and modifies it. It is important for you to understand the difference between indefinite adjectives and pronouns to assure you are saying what you mean. Some common indefinite adjectives include all, any, anything, each, every, few, many, one, several, some, somebody, and someone.
Indefinite adjective: We are having some cake for dessert.
Indefinite pronoun: I like cake. I’ll have some, please.
Indefinite adjective: You can find a state name on each quarter.
Indefinite pronoun: I have four Illinois quarters, and each is brand new.