Question

Can the pronoun “everyone” and “everybody” be used in the genitive (=possessive) case?

Answer 1

Yes, they can.

For example:

on everyone's mind - у всех на уме;

in everyone's interest - в интересах каждого;

everyone's right - право каждого;

Everybody's business is nobody's business. - Общее дело - ничье дело или у семи нянек дитя без глазу.

He got everyone's attention. - Он привлек всеобщее внимание.

Answer 2

The pronouns "everyone" and "everybody" are indefinite pronouns, and they do not have a distinct possessive (genitive) form in standard English. Instead, they are typically used as subjects or objects in sentences. When indicating possession, we use other constructions.

For example, instead of saying "everyone's book," you would say "the book of everyone" or "the book of everybody." Alternatively, you can rephrase the sentence to avoid using possessive pronouns altogether, such as "the book that belongs to everyone" or "the book that belongs to everybody."

Keep in mind that language is constantly evolving, and in certain informal or colloquial contexts, you may encounter variations or creative uses of language that deviate from the standard rules. However, in formal and standard English, the possessive form of "everyone" and "everybody" is not commonly used.