Software singular or plural verb after none

Someone asks me a question like this every six months or so, and i always have to look up the answer because, for the life of me, i can never remember whether a sentence like this calls for a singular verb or a plural verb. At all times since the reign ofkingalfred the choice of plural or singular. Most of these pronouns take a singular verb, some are always plural, and a few may be either singular or plural. Sentence subjects that have multiple nouns connected by and that refer to a singular thing require singular verbs. Plural nouns can take either a definite article or no article at all. Used by arrangement with alpha books, a member of penguin group usa inc. Special cases in subject verb agreement style for students online. When a subject is composed of both plural and singular substantives joined by or or nor, the verb should agree with the nearer. Some software is better than other software, but all software is noncountable. The difference between singular and plural nouns is simple once you know what to look for. Data can be treated as a singular or plural noun, depending on whether the word refers to a.

The indefinite pronoun none can be singular or plural. A lesson on subjectverb agreement and some of the quirks, particularly with indefinite articles like. Since mass nouns are treated as being singular, none gets. Neither of my parents speaks speak a foreign language. A subject made up of nouns joined by and takes a plural subject, unless that subjec. If the word that you want to put after some has a plural form, then use the plural form of the verb. Care should be taken that the number of the subject agrees with that of the verb.

Sanam rules would suggest a plural noun plural verb, such as some of the documents were stolen. Many people believe none can only be singular, and theyre surprised to. It can take either, i think because none can be used to mean not one or not any. If the subject closest to the verb is singular, use a singular verb. These words are known as a prepositional phrase because they start with a preposition in this case, of. In american english, collective group nouns are usually followed by singular verbs. Our modern form none comes from the old english nan. Therefore, we can conclude that grammar rules are not always based on logic. Oct 12, 2011 the expression more than one is normally followed by a singular noun and verb. Making verbs agree with relative pronouns who, which, and.

It is a mistake to suppose that the pronoun none is singular only and must at all costs be followed by singular verbs or pronouns. Plural verb with a plural element if the pairings either or often the either is omitted or neithernor form part of the subject and at least one of the elements is plural, then the verb must be plural too. But even we arent as permissive as this example suggests. Dec 27, 2009 indefinite pronouns by definition reference nonspecific things or people. These nouns describe abstract concepts or masses that cant be counted e. Actually, its clearer to distinguish between its use as a count noun, requiring a plural verb, and as a mass noun, with a singular verb. Accommodation equipment furniture information news. Start is a plural verb, and their is a plural pronoun. Information does not have a plural form, so you have to use the singular form of the verb. Here, none is singular because it comes before the mass noun chaos.

Yes, but it might have been better to stick to software is never plural. To force it to be treated as singular, it would be if any one of those dates suits you. Jan 17, 2008 i frequently hear people saying that a noun after the word any should be singular, but ive seen plural nouns used after the word any as well. To learn more about grammar, register for one of marys online grammar programs. Consider, green eggs and ham was samiams favorite dish. Neither the lawyer nor the detectives are able to follow the sequence of events.

When used in this sense, it always takes singular verbs and pronouns. Please advise whether the following sentence is grammatically acceptable in using the phrase connecting parties plural after the word any. Since the noun flowers is plural, the pronoun that is plural as well and therefore takes a plural verb in a different sentence, the antecedent of that could be a singular noun. We often use the plural pronoun they to refer back to singular anyone when we do not know if the person is male or female. However, the amateur etymologisers have got it slightly but seriously wrong. The plural verbs in the second set of examples may sound odd to some native speakers. Software is singular invariant in form, plural invariant in meaning you always treat it as singular grammatically, but it aways refers to software in general, to all the software in a given system, and not to any individual program. I think combining it with various causes a problem. Emily picked all of the flowers that were growing in the back garden in this sentence, the antecedent of that is flowers. Software is an uncountable noun and therefore has no plural, so software now uses is correct. Online geospatial education programslink is external imps in.

Does either he or you take a singular or a plural verb. If the word doesnt have a plural form, use the singular form. In cases like that, you can use the word that sounds more natural to you. Treat software as an uncountable noun, unless you have a strong reason not to. That the word none can be use either singular or plural.

Any english grammar today a reference to written and spoken english grammar and usage cambridge dictionary. The expression more than one is normally followed by a singular noun and verb. Do we use singular or plural after the word always. Singular or plural the word none can take the singular or the plural. It seems like it should be straightforward to figure out if the subject of your sentence is singular or plural, but sometimes its just not. When a compound subject contains both a singular and a plural noun or pronoun. It is like sheep or deer in english which can mean a single sheep or deer or a herd of either. If the closest subject is plural, use a plural verb. Does a closing quotation mark go before or after the period. Anyway, from my understanding none of the can be followed by singular or plural verb depending on noun behind none of the. The words that follow in this case, of nails do not affect the verb at all, even though they are usually physically closer to it.

Neither of and either of are followed by a plural noun or pronoun and a singular or plural verb. In the example you gave it should be none of us need a car. We just had a subject verb agreement discussion about this. However, it is just as likely to mean not any, implying a plural. On the other hand, some writers would prefer to phrase the topic as fifteen software programs that can boost your business. It comes from old english nan, which is equivalent to ne not and an one. If you are referring to the whole group as a single entity, then the singular verb is best.

None can be a singular pronoun if its referring to not one or no part, but it also can be plural when referring to not any. Plural nouns are words used to indicate that there is more than one person, animal, place, thing, or idea. Plural and singular substantives joined by or or nor. The pronoun he is the third person, singular form and takes a singular verb, for example. First, when we use none, do we use a singular or plural verb after that. In cases such as those, when you are unsure of whether to use a singular or plural verb, you can add members of before the collective noun, and then use a plural verb because members is plural.

So you can install software but you cant install a software. Also use a singular verb with none when none refers back to a mass noun, like bread, electricity, or water, e. I could still argue that dedication and commitment forms one ideavision and could be singular it is what we are looking for. At its most basic level, none means not one of something. A singular noun is used to refer to just one person, animal, thing or place. Jul 21, 2003 does a closing quotation mark go before or after the period. If in context it seems like a singular to you, use a singular verb. The noun support can be countable or uncountable in more general, commonly used, contexts, the plural form will also be support however, in more specific contexts, the plural form can also be supports e. Recently, a summer associate asked whether the indefinite pronoun none was singular or plural. Without regard to what the verb is, the choice of singular or plural verb with none depends primarily on what you are talking about and how the sentence is constructed. Two singular subjects connected by ornor require a singular verb. Is a plural or singular verb form required in clauses such as if any of those datesdayssuggestions suits.

The problem with this site and others like it that permit anyone who thinks she has the correct answer to offer it up without any verification other than the number of i think so toos it accumulates is that, even though you come here to get an answer, in the end you have nothing other than the weight of collective knowledge or ignorance to determine correctness. The confusion arises because the word none can mean either not one which is singular or not any which is plural. Sometimes you use a wordcombination of 2 nouns to denote a quantity of entities. Take a look at the lists below, and youll notice that most indefinite pronouns are singular. The indefinite articles a and an are used to modify singular nouns. None of our english grammar rules is hard or are they. All the drinking vessels of king solomon were of gold. If the word indicates persons or things working together as an identifiable unit, a singular verb is used. Either his mother or my sisters are singing in the pub. In other words, although native speakers do sometimes use a plural verb after neither of, the use of a singular verb is still the expected form in formal contexts, because that is the form taught in schools. The verb agrees with the subject, not with a noun or pronoun in the phrase. I actually have a little bookmark in one of my usage guides on the page about this topic because i keep forgetting. However, fastidious grammarian made a finnicky comments about this loose usage, and it is rational. First of all, the word none had common misconception.

She had many boyfriends and love affairs in her younger years, but none were very serious. The notion that it is singular only is a myth of unknown origin that appears to have arisen in the 19th century. Use a plural verb with none when what it is referring back to is more than one of whatever is indicated. Read on to learn what makes verbs irregular in english and how to change them from thirdperson singular to plural. One of the most common tricks in sentence correction questions although not the most difficult is confusing the testtaker as to whether a verb should be in singular or plural form following a relative pronoun. If things continue like this, more than one person is going to lose his job. Plural verbs are usually used after singular quantifying expressions like. When you are considering things as a collective group the notion of a subgroup within a larger group, use the plural. Whether you choose a singular or plural verb tells the reader or listener which of those slightly different meanings you intend. The pronoun you is both the singular and the plural form. Use a plural verb only if the sense is no two or no amount. Collective nouns and certain plural words may take singular or plural verbsdepending on the meaning in the sentence. Not all subjects using and to connect nouns are plural, though. Singular or plural verbs after prepositional phrases e.

It just complicates things when you introduce types of software and programs, which are countable and can therefore be used with the plural verb form. None of the consultants agree on the same approach. Apple is a singular item, so youd use the singular verb was. In this sentence, green eggs and ham is one specific dish in and of itself, so you use the singular verb. In cases like that, you can use the word that sounds more natural to you, or you can also just use the singular verb to play it safe. Plural verb with a plural element if the pairings eitheror often the either is omitted or neithernor form part of the subject and at least one of the elements is plural, then the verb must be plural too. However, according to merriam websters dictionary of english usage, clearly none has been both singular and plural since old english and still is. We just had a subjectverb agreement discussion about this. Half holiday and holidays mind as a noun opinion reason reported speech. Could anyone please dispel a doubt which has just cropped up in my admittedly tiredhead. I suspect various should only be used with plural count nouns. English usage, clearly none has been both singular and plural since old english and still is. Nouns ending in ff, f, fe irregular plurals agreement of subject and verb count nounsproper nouns doubleclick on words you dont understand. Here, none refers to not any of the ballplayers just as much as it refers to not one of the ballplayers, so it can be plural.

A plural verb makes more sense here, as the emphasis is on the individual staff members. Nevertheless, the use of a singular or plural verb can depend on the context of the sentence. Thats because the none refers to not any, as in not any of us which is a plural entity. Either and neither, singular or plural the editors blog. Sometimes either a singular or a plural verb will work. Mar 28, 20 none, the nifty english word that means not one or not any, can be both singular and plural. Here, we take a look at singular and plural nouns, providing both singular nouns examples and plural noun examples to help you recognize plural. There is a similar issue with the word code meaning software code.

A common misconception is that none is always singular because it is short for no one. Dictionary usage note all say its fine to use a plural verb with the word none if it. Singular or plural verbs with one of the grammar girl. I suggested that she think of none as not one, and that quickly resolved the issue. Singular would be a piece of code, and plural, pieces of code. Find the subject when a term like a box of nails is the subject of a verb, the first word i. As we mentioned in our response to dimitri dated september 14, 2011, the ap stylebooks entry says, none it usually means no single one. A singular verb makes more sense here, as the emphasis is on the company as a unified entity. The argument stems from a misunderstanding of where the word comes from. If you want a countable singular noun, say a piece of software, or a program or an. We could write, for example, emily picked the one flower that was. The indefinite pronoun none requires some separate discussion.

None of the ballplayers were on the team bus after the game. And on any test of english as a foreign language, use the singular verb. A myth has emerged that none always requires a singular verb. When using a plural noun, these two articles are unnecessary. The article is about several software programs, so one can argue that the plural softwares is justified. When none is followed by a mass noun a noun that cannot be counted or made plural it takes a singular verb. Sep 12, 2015 if the subject closest to the verb is singular, use a singular verb. Example others are trapped by the fear that their interests or their property is being threated. Singular and plural nouns there are two forms of nouns. Although some grammarians may prefer the singular form or make a distinction in the meanings of the two sentences, in practice there doesnt appear to be any appreciable difference just as the translation of none of us is free in the translation might have been used with. Neither of my parents speaksspeak a foreign language. Although the students are in the same class, they are beginning their own papers on different sonnets written by shakespeare.

How to use the word software in plural form with verbs. Aug 03, 2017 someone asks me a question like this every six months or so, and i always have to look up the answer because, for the life of me, i can never remember whether a sentence like this calls for a singular verb or a plural verb. She asked because she wasnt sure which form of verb to use with it, singular or plural. After taking a test, the class start their papers on shakespeares sonnets. Using plural or singular verb after neither and none.

Looking for a singular and plural irregular verbs chart. When some, all, or none are part of the sentence subject, the number of the verb matches. If both subjects are singular or both plural, the choice for the verb is easy. The use of it implies at the start that you may have a collective group of software to look at rather than just one software, which is why you need to check for context when you use it. Sep, 2018 sometimes either a singular or a plural verb will work. One is obviously singular, but any usually refers to plural nouns or groups of uncountable nouns. Plural pronouns are sometimes used to refer back to collective nouns. People assume that none is a condensed form of no one or not one. Also, it is interesting that zero, as an attributive, is plural. The members of the family are each doing a separate chore. Should a singular or plural form be used for a verb after that. In british english, however, collective nouns are often treated as plural in form and so take plural verbs, e. As both always take a singular verb, the argument goes, so must none. The united states of america, the united arab emirates take singular verbs and pronouns.

How to use the word software in plural form with verbs quora. Subject and verb agreement with collective nouns grammar. Class is a plural collective noun in this instance. Its when one subject is singular and the other plural that you have to pay attention.