None is Singular 6-1-04

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="042d05a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Big Ring Media Team, Inc.</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Big Ring Media Team, Inc."><B>home</B></A></div> <bR> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="043d2123.jpg"> <div> Click on this link to return to <A HREF="id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Word Watch by Subject">Word Watch by Subject</A>.</div> <div> Click on this link to go to <A HREF="id39.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Word Watch by Date">Word Watch by Date</A>.</div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>None is Singular 6-1-04</I></div> <div> Some writers stumble over subject-verb agreements when certain other words are present. Look at the following pairs of sentences and see if you know which is correct:</div> <div> None of the students are in the auditorium.</div> <div> None of the students is in the auditorium.</div> <div> Neither of us are going to the conference.</div> <div> Neither of us is going to the conference.</div> <div> In both examples, the second sentence is correct because both “none” and "neither” are singular.</div> <div> Trouble usually occurs when the verb (“are” or “is” in our examples) is preceded by a plural. The verb refers back to the singular “none” or “neither,” but its proximity to a plural (“students,” “us”) trips up writers.</div> <div> Even if we know the correct way to cast these sentences, readers will often hesitate. It's probably best to rewrite these things so that the subject/verb agreement is clear. We could say “There are no students in the auditorium” and “Neither of us will go to the conference.” (“Will” fits whether the noun is singular or plural. I will go. You will go. We will go. They will go.)</div> </td> </tr></table></body>