none + of + the/my/these + noun + verbUse none of before a specific noun phrase. After it, singular and plural verbs both appear; choose the form that fits the sentence.
None Of / Neither Of
B1Use none of for zero in a known group and neither of for two. Add of before them/us/the + noun, and watch the verb after the phrase.
What you'll learn
- Say that zero members of a group match the idea with none of.
- Use neither of only when the group has two members.
- Add of before them, us, or the + noun after none and neither.
- Choose a natural singular or plural verb after none of.
- Use a singular verb after neither of in standard English.
Structure
none + of + us/them + verbWith pronouns, keep of: none of us, none of them.
neither + of + the/my + singular-or-plural noun + singular verbNeither of is for two members only and takes a singular verb in standard English.
neither + of + us/them + singular verbUse singular be after neither of us/them: neither of them is, neither of us was.
Build a sentence
Group
Verb
Noneofthestudentsarehere
None of the students are here.
After none of the students, plural are sounds natural in everyday English.
When to use
Known group
Use these forms when the group is clear to both people: none of the guests, neither of my sisters, none of us.
Zero in a group
You check all members of a group and the answer is zero: None of the emails were urgent.
Exactly two
Use neither of when there are two choices and both are negative: Neither of the doors is open.
Markers
the studentsthemusthe two optionsmy parents
Common mistakes
Wrong
None the students were late.
Correct
None of the students were late.
After none in this pattern, use of before a specific group.
Wrong
Neither them wanted dessert.
Correct
Neither of them wanted dessert.
Keep of before them, us, or the + noun after neither.
Wrong
Neither of them are at home.
Correct
Neither of them is at home.
Neither of takes a singular verb in standard English.
Wrong
Neither of them isn't ready.
Correct
Neither of them is ready.
Neither is already negative, so do not add another negative form.
Wrong
Neither of the five hotels was cheap.
Correct
None of the five hotels was cheap.
Neither of works only for two members. For larger groups, use none of.
Common misconceptions
❝ After none of, the verb must always be singular. ❞
Both singular and plural verbs appear after none of. With plural nouns, plural verbs are very common in everyday English.
❝ Neither of and none of mean the same thing in every sentence. ❞
Neither of is for two members. None of works with any group size, including two, but it does not highlight the idea of two choices.
Skills in this rule (7)
USE_NONE_OF_FOR_ZERO_IN_A_GROUPw5Use none of to say zero members of a group
Use none of before a limited group: none of the students, none of us, none of them. It means not one member of that group.
USE_NEITHER_OF_FOR_TWOw5Use neither of for two people or things
Use neither of when the group has exactly two members: neither of the answers, neither of them. Do not use it for three or more.
ADD_OF_BEFORE_THEM_US_THE_NOUNw5Add of before them, us, or the + noun
After none and neither in this pattern, use of before object pronouns and before the + noun phrase: none of them, neither of us, none of the books.
PICK_IS_OR_ARE_AFTER_NONE_OFw4Choose is or are after none of
After none of, both singular and plural verbs appear in modern English. Match the noun and use the form that fits the sentence naturally.
PICK_SINGULAR_AFTER_NEITHER_OFw5Use a singular verb after neither of
Neither of points to two single items one by one, so it takes a singular verb in standard English: neither of them is, neither of the answers was.
AVOID_DOUBLE_NEGATIVE_WITH_NEITHERw4Do not add not after neither of
Neither is already negative. Use neither of them is, not neither of them isn't.
USE_WITH_SPECIFIC_GROUPSw3Use these patterns with a specific known group
These forms point to a clear set: the students, my parents, us, them. They are natural when the listener knows which group you mean.