Page 2 - Microsoft Word - LN #011104040411

On the other hand, there is one indefinite pronoun, none, that can be either singular or
plural; it often doesn't matter whether you use a singular or a plural verb — unless
something else in the sentence determines its number. (Writers generally think of none as
meaning not any and will choose a plural verb, as in "None of the engines are working," but
when something else makes us regard none as meaning not one, we want a singular verb, as
in "None of the food is fresh.")

 None of you claims responsibility for this incident?
 None of you claim responsibility for this incident?
 None of the students have done their homework. (In this last example, the
word their precludes the use of the singular verb.

Some indefinite pronouns are particularly troublesome.
Everyone and everybody (listed above, also) certainly feel like more than one
person and, therefore, students are sometimes tempted to use a plural verb with
them. They are always singular, though. Each is often followed by a prepositional phrase
ending in a plural word (Each of the cars), thus confusing the verb choice. Each, too, is
always singular and requires a singular verb.
Everyone has finished his or her homework.
You would always say, "Everybody is here." This means that the word is singular and nothing
will change that.
Each of the students is responsible for doing his or her work in the library.
Don't let the word "students" confuse you; the subject is each and each is always singular —
Each is responsible.

Phrases such as together with, as well as, and along with are not the same
as and. The phrase introduced by as well as or along with will modify the earlier
word (mayor in this case), but it does not compound the subjects (as the
word and would do).

The mayor as well as his brothers is going to prison. The mayor and his
brothers are going to jail.

The pronouns neither and either are singular and require singular verbs even
though they seem to be referring, in a sense, to two things.

 Neither of the two traffic lights is working.
 Which shirt do you want for Christmas?
Either is fine with me.

In informal writing, neither and either sometimes take a plural verb when these
pronouns are followed by a prepositional phrase beginning with of. This is
particularly true of interrogative constructions: