Page 1 of 1

None is or None are?

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 8:27 am
by Arpy
Logically, I think it is 'none is'--not-one-is. But English doesn't have to follow logic. What do you think?

Re: None is or None are?

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 11:27 am
by oursilverstrands
Arpy wrote:Logically, I think it is 'none is'--not-one-is. But English doesn't have to follow logic. What do you think?
I think it depends on how 'none' is used with other words that follow.

Ex. 1) None of the time is spent on playing video games.

Ex. 2) None of the children are dressed warmly.

Lillian :typing2

Re: None is or None are?

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 11:41 am
by Anja
That's an excellent question.

Edited to add: I left the reply page open and went off to drive the cowboy truck and stock trailer. I came home, filled in my reply, but Lillian had already beat me to the punch. She is absolutely correct, as you'll see from my much wordier reply.


First of all, "none" is a shortened version of "not one." Therefore, one (and therefore none) is singular, or so it's been said since the beginning of time.

However, the rule is to look at what there is "none of" in your sentence.
Is it singular or plural?

None of the cake is missing. (Cake is singular, therefore use is.)
None of the houses are painted. (Houses is plural, therefore use are.)

The same rule would hold true for other verbs: was/were, has/have, etc.
Apparently, the SAT testing service considers none as a singular word only. However, according to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage, “Clearly none has been both singular and plural since Old English and still is. The notion that it is singular only is a myth of unknown origin that appears to have arisen in the 19th century. If in context it seems like a singular to you, use a singular verb; if it seems like a plural, use a plural verb. Both are acceptable beyond serious criticism” (p. 664)
Help at all?

Re: None is or None are?

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 1:39 pm
by Arpy
Yes, thanks. I'm a stickler for correct grammar, but I'm not the best at it myself.

To tell the truth, it's been bothering me since I went to sleep a few nights ago. (That's when my deeply philosophical thoughts come.)

But that helps!

Re: None is or None are?

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 3:33 am
by wjourney
thank you for that quick grammer lesson, I will be writing that down in my book of notes for future reference.
Susan