Meaning & use
none
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Meanings
pronoun
Not any; not one of a group of people or things.
Grammar: Can take a singular or plural verb; both 'none is' and 'none are' are used.
Patterns
- none of + plural noun
- none of + singular noun
None of the students were late.
I wanted some cake, but there was none left.
None of this makes sense to me.
adverb
Not at all; in no way.
Grammar: Used before 'too' or 'so' to mean 'not at all'.
Patterns
- none too + adjective
- none so + adjective
The test was none too easy.
She was none too pleased with the result.
He is none the worse for the experience.
Common combinations
- none of
- None of the answers are correct.
- none at all
- I have none at all.
- none other than
- The guest was none other than the mayor.
- none the less
- It was raining; none the less, we went out.
Synonyms and how they differ
- nobody
- Nobody refers only to people; none can refer to people or things.
- nothing
- Nothing refers to things in general; none refers to a specific group or quantity.
Opposites
Commonly confused: none or no one?
none vs no one
No one means 'not a single person' and takes a singular verb; none can refer to people or things and can take singular or plural.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'none' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Information' is uncountable, so it takes a singular verb 'was' and no plural -s. Option 2 uses a plural verb, option 3 adds an incorrect plural, and option 4 omits 'the' before 'information' in this context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “none”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.