There’s a lot of disagreement about this one. “None” can be either singular or plural, depending on the meaning you intend and its context in the sentence. “None of the pie is left” is clearly singular. But “None of the chocolates is left” is widely accepted, as is “None of the chocolates are left.” If it’s not obvious to you which it should be, don’t worry; few of your readers will be certain either.
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End-of-year sale on the book: Use the coupon code FIFTEEN to get Common Errors in English Usage 3rd Edition at $4 off the cover price. Order through wmjasco.com.
This week on the podcast we go back in time and discuss a great George Eliot sentence.
This is the tenth year of the Common Errors in English Usage calendar. To celebrate, we are bringing back some of our favorite interesting, funny, but sometimes merely silly entries through the years before going on hiatus in 2016.
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