Poll: Does "none" always have to be treated as singular in formal writing?
Does "none" always have to be treated as singular in formal writing? |
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Votes: 288
Comments: 3
Added: September 2004
Comments:
| zariyan - 7th January 2009 12:44 |
| i cant get it your quesrion sorry!!!! |
| Eric - 28th February 2009 02:11 |
| "None" is singular; it is a contraction of "not one," and one is always singular. |
| gosh - 8th December 2009 16:06 |
| "It is widely asserted that none is equivalent to no one, and hence requires a singular verb and singular pronoun: None of the prisoners was given his soup. It is true that none is etymologically derived from the Old English word n, "one," but the word has been used as both a singular and a plural noun from Old English onward. The plural usage appears in the King James Bible as well as the works of John Dryden and Edmund Burke and is widespread in the works of respectable writers today. Of course, the singular usage is perfectly acceptable. The choice between a singular or plural verb depends on the desired effect. Both options are acceptable in this sentence: None of the conspirators has (or have) been brought to trial. When none is modified by almost, however, it is difficult to avoid treating the word as a plural: Almost none of the officials were (not was) interviewed by the committee. None can only be plural in its use in sentences such as None but his most loyal supporters believe (not believes) his story." |
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