'None Is' or 'None Are'?

 

When you’re thinking about singulars and plurals, you often consider whether you have one or many of something, but the word “none” is tricky because it’s nothing—it’s not one or many of something.

The truth is that ”none” can be singular or plural, but many people believe it can be only singular. First, let’s talk about the singular.

The word 'none' can be singular or plural.

'None' Is Singular

When "none" means roughly “not one” or “no single one,” it’s followed by a singular verb. It also takes a singular verb when it’s followed by a mass noun, like “water”:

None of the water is polluted.

'None' Is Plural

When "none" means roughly “not any” or your sentence has a sense of plurality, “none" can take a plural verb, and it often sounds more natural. Here's an example:

I talked to the boys, and none of them are coming to the party.

What Should You Do?

You may be chided by the uninformed when you follow "none" with a plural verb, but don’t be afraid to do so if your sentence calls for it. The AP Stylebook, the Chicago Manual of Style, Garner’s Modern English Usage, the Oxford English Dictionary, and the American Heritage Dictionary Usage Note all say it’s fine to use a plural verb with the word “none” if it means something like “no two,” “not any,” or “no amount of these things.” In fact, the American Heritage Usage Note gives many examples from important writers and even throws down an example from the King James Bible:

All the drinking vessels of king Solomon were of gold ... none were of silver.

Sometimes either a singular or a plural verb will work:

None of them is brave. (Not one of them is brave.)

None of them are brave. (Not any of them are brave.)

In cases like that, you can use the word that sounds more natural to you, or you can also just use the singular verb to play it safe. (None of them is brave.)

That’s your Quick and Dirty Tip. “None” can be singular or plural. Try to decide whether it means “not one”—in which case it’s singular—or “not any”—in which case it’s plural. And If you aren’t sure, “none is” is safer.

Example of 'None' as Singular

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