verb agreement with none

At one time, many authorities insisted that the verb that followed none must always be singular, since none was considered to mean not one and to have a singular sense.

Today, however, most sources accept the use of none with either a singular or a plural meaning. The choice of verb now depends on the context.

When none refers to a singular or non-count noun such as work, cake or money, it requires a singular verb:

• None of the work was completed.
• None of the cake has been eaten.
• None of the money is missing.

When none refers to a plural noun such as workers, crimes or windows, a plural verb is ordinarily used:

• None of the workers were injured in the accident.
• None of the crimes have been solved.
• None of the windows are broken.

However, even when none refers to a plural noun, the writer may prefer to use a singular verb in order to stress the meaning not a single one:

• None of the workers was injured in the accident.
• None of the crimes has been solved.
• None of the windows is broken.

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