The indefinite pronouns «nobody» and «no one» are often mixed up with the pronoun «none.» The first two words are both singular pronouns and synonymous, but «none» can be either singular or plural.
How to Use «Nobody»
«Nobody» is an indefinite pronoun, meaning it does not refer to any particular person. It means the same thing as «no person» or «not anyone.» As an indefinite pronoun that refers to an absence, «nobody» also has no defined amount. Grammatically, though, it is treated as a singular noun: Nobody was there to open the door.
How to Use «No One»
«No one» is also an indefinite pronoun, and it means the same thing as «nobody.» It is usually considered more formal than «nobody,» which is why it is more likely to appear in writing.
«Noone» is a common misspelling of «no one,» which is two words. «No-one»—with a hyphen—is a less common spelling, typically found in British English.
How to Use «None»
The pronoun «none» means not one, not any, or no persons or things. As an adverb, «none» means not at all or to no extent.
There’s a common misconception that «none» can only be singular, but this has never been true. When «none» is the subject of a clause and refers to members of a group, it can be used with either a singular verb («None is») or a plural verb («None are»). «None» must be followed by a singular verb only when it means «not part of a whole,» as in «None of it is mine.»
Examples
«Nobody and «no one» are basically interchangeable; the main difference between the two is the degree of formality:
- No one is ever too old to learn something new.
- Nobody wants to sign up for cleanup duties.
«None» means the same thing as «not one» or «not any,» which is why it’s often found in reference to groups:
- None of the other apples are as good as the Honeycrisp.
- None of the guests has any idea what to bring to the party.
In the first example, «none» takes the plural verb «are» because it is used in the sense of «not any» (Not any of the other apples are as good as the Honeycrisp). In the second example, «none» takes the singular verb «has» because it is used in the sense of «not one» (Not one of the guests has any idea what to bring to the party). If you’re using the word «none» and you aren’t sure if it should take a singular or a plural verb, try replacing «none» with «not any» or «not one» to determine in which sense it’s being used.
Wilson Follett, the author of the style guide «Modern American Usage,» wrote that choosing the right verb for «none» is always a matter of context:
«The fact is that in some contexts none means not a single one, making singularity emphatic, whereas in other contexts it means no two, no few, no several, no fraction of many. In None of us is entitled to cast the first stone the singular meaning is hardly mistakable; in None of the commentators agree on the meaning of this passage the plural meaning is equally clear. None, then, is freely either singular or plural according to the sense suggested by its context. Often the number we give it makes no difference.»
How to Remember the Differences
«Nobody» and «no one» always refer to people. If you’re struggling to decide which one you should write, you can relax. Either one will do, so stick with whichever sounds best.
«None» can refer to people or inanimate objects. This word always points to another noun or nouns in a sentence, which is why you often see the construction «none of the [noun],» as in:
- None of the guests enjoyed the meal.
«None» is the appropriate word in this case because it points to the noun «guests.» Without the noun «guests,» the sentence would require an indefinite pronoun such as «nobody» or «no one» instead:
- No one enjoyed the meal.
Sources
- Follett, Wilson. Modern American Usage: A Guide. Hill and Wang, 1998, p. 205.
- Partridge, Eric. Usage and Abusage: A Guide to Good English. W. W. Norton & Company, 1997, pp. 207-208.
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#1
I made a sentence — No one can afford a great life if they look at the world with the same mindset.
Here I used Noone, and they, is it correct?
Also, this one — Nobody could have afforded a great life if they had looked at the world with the same mindset.
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#2
The bold words are correct. The sentence doesn’t make sense. «The same» as what? How is «mindset» related to «afford»?
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#3
No-one, nobody and (in this case) they are all singular. They is the common-gender third-person singular pronoun.
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#1
I am completely confused about the usage of these indefinite pronouns. Some websites tell that I should use the plural form of verbs and possessive pronouns with them while others tell me the exact opposite.
For example, is it correct to say » nobody can be called a happy person if there is no one who sincerely love and support them« or should I say » Nobody can be called a happy person if there is no one who sincerely loves and supports him«?
or another example : » Everyone should find their own style to express their individuality» or «Everyone should find his own style to express his individuality»?
and one extra , kind of similar question via example sentence : «It might be difficult to use public transport for a person if the person has children with him/them?»
Please, help me clerify the rules.
Last edited: Apr 16, 2014
Tdol
Editor, UsingEnglish.com
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#2
Re: «everybody», «nobody», «no one» — plural or singular
Use a singular verb: Everybody/no one/nobody knows
Them and their are often used with the singular when the gender is not known or important: Someone has left their umbrella behind. (One person) Traditionally, his would be used here. You could also use his or her, but that is a lot of words, so their solves the problem:
Everyone should find his own style to express his individuality. (Traditional form. Some people dislike it and think it is old-fashioned.)
Everyone should find his or her own style to express his or her individuality. (Wordy way of accounting for gender)
Everyone should find their own style to express their individuality. (Simple way of doing it. Some people dislike the use of a plural for a singular, but it’s becoming more and more common)
No one, nobody, nothing and nowhere are indefinite pronouns.
We use no one, nobody, nothing and nowhere to refer to an absence of people, things or places. We use them with a singular verb:
Nobody ever goes to see her. She’s very lonely.
You usually have to wait for a long time. Nothing happens quickly.
There was nowhere to park the car.
We often use the plural pronoun they to refer back to (singular) no one or nobody when we do not know if the person is male or female:
No one remembers the titles of the books they’ve read.
No one or nobody?
No one and nobody mean the same. Nobody is a little less formal than no one. We use no one more than nobody in writing:
I knew nobody at the party.
No one moved; no one said anything.
We write no one as two separate words or with a hyphen: no one or no-one but not noone.
Nobody or not … anybody, etc.
Nobody, no one, nothing, nowhere are stronger and more definite than not … anybody/anyone/anything/anywhere:
I did nothing. (stronger than I didn’t do anything.)
She told no one, not even her mother. (stronger than She didn’t tell anyone …)
We don’t use not + anyone/anything/anywhere as the subject of a clause:
Nothing will make me change my mind.
Not: Not anything will make me change my mind.
We don’t use nobody, no one, nothing, nowhere after no, not, never or other words which have a negative meaning (hardly, seldom). We use anyone, anybody, anything, anywhere:
I can’t do anything.
Not: I can’t do nothing.
She talks to hardly anyone.
Not: She talks to hardly no one.
We often use the word none in writing to indicate the absence or lack of something, but is it a singular or plural pronoun?
It’s not always easy to decide, so it’s a common question.
The correct answer is that none can be both singular and plural.
However, it depends on the context in which you use it.
With countable nouns, none is a grammar point that is always open to interpretation.
If we use none to mean not one or no one, it is a singular pronoun and takes a singular verb.
For example, none of his solutions is practical.
In this sentence, none means not one of his solutions is practical.
So, in this case, it requires a singular verb because it’s a singular pronoun.
On the other hand, when none means not any of, it becomes a plural pronoun and takes a plural verb.
For example, none of his solutions are practical.
In this sentence, none means not any of his solutions are practical.
Therefore, it is a plural pronoun with a plural verb.
In most cases, your decision about pronoun and verb agreement will depend on whether none means not one, no one, or not any.
None with uncountable nouns
Luckily, you almost always use a singular verb when you use none with uncountable nouns.
In this case, it’s because none always means not any or not any of.
We still can’t use the road because none of the snow has melted.
None of the fruit I bought this morning is ripe enough to eat.
The only time it gets a bit tricky is with uncountable collective nouns that can be divided into parts.
These include nouns like team, class, family, and staff.
Then none can mean not any or not one.
After the layoffs, none of the catering staff is left.
After the layoffs, none of the catering staff are left.
However, in general, singular verb use is probably more common.
When is none always plural?
You use a plural verb whenever you refer to a previous number of people or items.
Logically, these will be countable nouns.
Five people applied for the CEO position, but none were suitably qualified.
I bought three shirts on special for my son, and none are his size.
This is possibly the only instance where your choice of verb is easy.
Using synesis gives you a choice
According to Merriam-Webster, synesis is a grammatical construction in which agreement or reference is according to sense rather than strict syntax.
In other words, you can choose to use a singular or plural verb by meaning and not by strict grammatical form.
None of the bananas is ripe.
None of the bananas are ripe.
None of them is up to the task.
None of them are up to the task.
All four sentences above are grammatically correct.
But using a plural verb may read more naturally, so it’s perhaps the better choice.
Other uses
Apart from being a pronoun, none can also be an adverb.
We often use it to modify comparative adjectives, such as worse or better, to say that something is not any worse or better than before.
We lost our dog, but he arrived back home after a couple of days, none the worse for wear.
As for authors, for me, there was none better than Douglas Adams.
There are also many fixed expressions and phrases that we often use.
We had a surprise guest for dinner. It was none other than our local MP.
I used my brother’s phone to make a couple of calls, but he was none the wiser.
After the robbery, the police arrived none too soon.
My boss asked me a personal question, and I told him it was none of his business.
Conclusion
Whenever I use the word none in writing, I’m always careful.
It’s one of the few grammar points where there is no real right or wrong.
But some readers might have a fixed opinion about what is appropriate.
I suppose I lean toward using a plural verb more often than not.
Not because it is necessarily correct, but because it reads and sounds better.
It always depends on what you mean by none.
If it is not any, then you can’t really go wrong using a plural verb.
But if you mean not one or no one, which are both singular in meaning, then you need to choose more carefully.
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