Sign Up For Our Free Grammar E-Newsletter

“None Were” vs. “None Was”

Rule: With words that indicate portions—some, all, none, percent, fraction, part, majority, remainder, and so forth —look at the noun in your of phrase (object of the preposition) to determine whether to use a singular or plural verb. If the object of the preposition is singular, use a singular verb. If the object of the preposition is plural, use a plural verb.

Examples:
None of the pie was eaten.
None of the children were hungry.

In a sentence like “None were missing,” there is an implicit noun that answers the question, “None of what?” That noun is what determines whether none takes a plural or singular verb.

Examples:
None were missing. (None of the cookies were missing.)
None was missing. (None of the pie was missing.)

Note: Apparently, the SAT testing service considers none as a singular word only. However, according to Merriam
Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage, “Clearly none has been both singular and plural since Old English and still is. The notion that it is singular only is a myth of unknown origin that appears to have arisen in the 19th century. If in context it seems like a singular to you, use a singular verb; if it seems like a plural, use a plural verb. Both are acceptable beyond serious criticism” (p. 664)

Pop Quiz

  1. None of the garbage was/were picked up.
  2. None of the chairs was/were comfortable.
  3. She inspected all of the plates and none was/were chipped.

Answers

  1. None of the garbage was picked up.
  2. None of the chairs were comfortable.
  3. She inspected all of the plates and none were chipped.

Posted on Sunday, June 14th, 2009 at 2:15 pm

I vs. Me (Review)

I get more questions about pronoun usage, particularly I vs. me, than any other topic. So, here is a review that should help you feel more secure about your choices. For more on the topic, click here.

Should we say, “She and I went to the store”? Or is it correct to say, “She and me went to the store”?

Is it, “He put suntan lotion on him and I”? Or would you say, “He put suntan lotion on him and me”?

Many of us were taught (incorrectly) never to use me, as though uttering this “dirty” word would make us sound uneducated. But the question of whether to use I or me comes down to whether you are using the word as a subject or as an object in the sentence. Both words are pronouns, but I is a subject pronoun while me is an object pronoun.

So, in the sentence, “She and I went to the store,” the correct word to use would be I rather than me. Why? Because I is the subject of the sentence. (Who is going to the store? She and I are going to the store.)

One good way to test this rule is to see how it sounds when you use each pronoun individually: It sounds right to say, “She went to the store.” You would also say, “I went to the store.”

“He put suntan lotion on him and me” would be correct because him and me are objects. Specifically, they are objects of the preposition on. Using these pronouns individually, it should sound right to say, “He put suntan lotion on him.” You would also say, “He put suntan lotion on me.”

Pop Quiz

1A. Arlene asked he and I to complete the job.

1B. Arlene asked him and me to complete the job.

2A. He and I completed the job for Arlene.

2B. Him and me completed the job for Arlene.

Answers to Pop Quiz

Correct answers are in bold.

1A. Arlene asked he and I to complete the job.

1B. Arlene asked him and me to complete the job.

2A. He and I completed the job for Arlene.

2B. Him and me completed the job for Arlene.

Posted on Tuesday, June 9th, 2009 at 9:30 am

Dashes

There are many uses of the en and em dash and also many ways to form these dashes using your computer. The following explanations offer the most common uses and methods for forming these dashes.

En Dash: An en dash, roughly the width of an n, is a little longer than a hyphen. It is used for periods of time when you might otherwise use to.

Examples:
The years 2001–2003
January–June

An en dash is also used in place of a hyphen when combining open compounds.

Examples:
North Carolina–Virginia border
a high school–college conference

To form an en dash with most PCs, type the first number or word, then hold down the ALT key while typing 0150 on the numerical pad on the right side of your keyboard. Then type the second number or word.

To form an en dash with most laptops, type the first number or word, then hold down the Fn and Ctrl keys while depressing the semicolon/colon key. Then type the second number or word.

Most authorities recommend using no spaces before or after en or em dashes.

Em Dash: An em dash is the width of an m. Use an em dash sparingly in formal writing. In informal writing, em dashes may replace commas, semicolons, colons, and parentheses to indicate added emphasis, an interruption, or an abrupt change of thought.

Examples:
You are the friend—the only friend—who offered to help me.

Never have I met such a lovely person—before you.

I pay the bills—she has all the fun.
A semicolon would be used here in formal writing.

I need three items at the store—dog food, vegetarian chili, and cheddar cheese.
Remember, a colon would be used here in formal writing.

My agreement with Fiona is clear—she teaches me French and I teach her German.
Again, a colon would work here in formal writing.

Please call my agent—Jessica Cohen—about hiring me.
Parentheses or commas would work just fine here instead of the dashes.

I wish you would—oh, never mind.
This shows an abrupt change in thought and warrants an em dash.

To form an em dash on most PCs, type the first word, then hold down the ALT key while typing 0151 on the numerical pad on the right side of your keyboard. Then type the second word. You may also form an em dash by typing the first word, hitting the hyphen key twice, and then typing the second word. Your program will turn the two hyphens into an em dash for you.

While there are many more possible uses of the em dash, by not providing additional rules, I am hoping to curb your temptation to employ this convenient but overused punctuation mark.

Pop Quiz

Which type of dash, an en dash or an em dash, should be used in each of the following sentences?

1. Alberto attended the University of Colorado from 1981-1985.

2. I never thought I’d settle down-until I met you.

3. Kansas City straddles the Kansas-Missouri border.

Pop Quiz Answers

1. Alberto attended the University of Colorado from 1981–1985. En dash

2. I never thought I’d settle down—until I met you. Em dash

3. Kansas City straddles the Kansas–Missouri border. En dash

Posted on Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009 at 9:31 am