Almost none of them is /are
- Thread starter hatgray
- Start date
- Status
Roman55
Key Member
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2014
- Member Type
- Interested in Language
- Native Language
- British English
- Home Country
- Italy
- Current Location
- France
Both are possible. Is is probably a little more formal, and are is probably a little more natural, to my ear at least.
The choice can be one of style, preference or emphasis. The singular would emphasize the individual members of a given group and the plural would put the emphasis on the group as a whole.
In your example I would use are since the number not going is clearly more than one.
The choice can be one of style, preference or emphasis. The singular would emphasize the individual members of a given group and the plural would put the emphasis on the group as a whole.
In your example I would use are since the number not going is clearly more than one.
GoesStation
No Longer With Us
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2015
- Member Type
- Interested in Language
- Native Language
- American English
- Home Country
- United States
- Current Location
- United States
Only are sounds possible to my American-English-trained ears.
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2009
- Member Type
- English Teacher
- Native Language
- British English
- Home Country
- UK
- Current Location
- UK
Part of the problem is that it's unlikely that a native speaker would use this construction.
Some of them are going to the party.
Only a few of them are going to the party.
Q. John's invited 20 people to the party. How many are going?
A. Hardly any of them.
Q. (Same)
A. Almost none of them.
Q. (Same)
A. Just a few.
Some of them are going to the party.
Only a few of them are going to the party.
Q. John's invited 20 people to the party. How many are going?
A. Hardly any of them.
Q. (Same)
A. Almost none of them.
Q. (Same)
A. Just a few.
GoesStation
No Longer With Us
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2015
- Member Type
- Interested in Language
- Native Language
- American English
- Home Country
- United States
- Current Location
- United States
How about this? A teacher, shaking her head and frowning, tells her student "You've given fifty answers on this exam paper. Almost none of them are right!"
- Status