Kendall Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 None of the goats is in the pasture. None of the goats are in the pasture. I think it should be are the key says is. I know that none is an indefinite pronoun that can be either singular or plural but the prepositional phrase indicates that it is plural and thus would take the plural verb are. What do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 In this case, I think none is singular. Not one of the goats is in the pasture. ETA: But I would never say, "None of the goats is in the pasture." It just sounds terrible! :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clear Creek Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 None of the goats is in the pasture. None of the goats are in the pasture. I think it should be are the key says is. I know that none is an indefinite pronoun that can be either singular or plural but the prepositional phrase indicates that it is plural and thus would take the plural verb are. What do you think? According to R&S 6, you are right for the reason you stated and the answer key is wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yvonne Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 According to R&S 6, you are right for the reason you stated and the answer key is wrong. :iagree: My daughter and I were just working on these sing/pl indefinite pronouns in R&S this week. Here's an explanation from R&S 6, Lesson 66, on indefinite pronouns: "None of the cake was eaten." None is singular because it refers to cake, which is singular. Use a singular verb. "None of the cookies were eaten." None is plural because it refers to cookies, which is plural. Use a plural verb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Looks like both might be correct: http://www.noslangues-ourlanguages.gc.ca/bien-well/fra-eng/grammaire-grammar/none-eng.html None referring to a plural nounWhen none refers to a plural noun, it may take either a singular or a plural verb, depending on the sentence and the intentions of the writer. If you want to stress that none means not one, use a singular verb: None of the missing items has been found. None of the researchers was able to pinpoint the cause of the disease. None of these job applicants is a relative of mine.[Here, the plural would not fit with the singular noun relative.] But when your focus is on the whole group of items or persons, use a plural verb (the usual choice): None of the missing items have been found. None of those tickets were stamped. None of these artists paint with their hands.[Here, the singular would not fit with the plural pronoun their.] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThatHomeschoolDad Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 The SAT considers none to only be singular,all day, every day, and twice on Sundays. However, the SAT does a lot of weird things. From the Oxford English Dictionary: It is sometimes held that none can only take a singular verb, never a plural verb: none of them is coming tonightrather than none of them are coming tonight. There is little justification, historical or grammatical, for this view.None is descended from Old English nÄn meaning ‘not one’ and has been used for around a thousand years with both a singular and a plural verb, depending on the context and the emphasis needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendall Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share Posted January 7, 2014 Thank you for the input. I"m going to look at those websites. It was in the R & S 8th grade book, but before the section on pronouns. I went ahead to there and read the explanation about when it is plural and singular which is what confirmed my initial thoughts. From the site regentrude quoted it sounds like either could be correct, but in isolation it is really not possible to tell the author's intent. Either way I agree it isn't how I would word something if I meant not one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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