none of

USAGE SUMMARY

"none of" is correct and usable in written English.
"None of" is often used to refer to a group of elements or items, when none of them is selected, desired, or appropriate. Example sentence: "None of the movies at the theater looked appealing, so I decided to stay home."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

None of this occurred.

The New York Times

None of that existed.

The New York Times

None of that, zero.

The New Yorker

None of it helped.

The New York Times - Magazine

None of this worked.

The New York Times

None of us know".

The New York Times - Books

None of their business.

The New York Times - Magazine

None of us had.

The New Yorker

None of them worked.

Independent

None, of course.

The New York Times

None of it happened.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Ensure that "none of" refers to a group of three or more; if you are referring to only two things, use "neither of" instead.

Common error

Avoid using "none of" with "not" in the same clause, as this creates a double negative that confuses the meaning. For example, instead of saying "I don't want none of that", simply say "I want "none of" that" or "I don't want any of that".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "none of" functions as a pronoun phrase that quantifies a noun by negating it entirely. In the data provided by Ludwig, it is frequently used to dismiss options or describe failed attempts (e.g. "None of this occurred" or "None of them worked"). It acts as the subject or object in a sentence, often followed by a determiner and a noun.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Formal & Business

10%

Reference

5%

Less common in

Science

3%

Academia

1%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "none of" is a highly versatile and correct English phrase used to negate a whole group or quantity. Ludwig AI confirms its widespread usage across prestigious publications, where it serves as a clear way to indicate that not a single member of a group fits a description. Whether you are writing for The New York Times or drafting a business email, "none of" remains the standard choice for categorical exclusion. Remember to choose your verb agreement based on the noun that follows and consider alternatives like "neither of" if you are only discussing two subjects.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

not any of

uses a more emphatic negative construction with the determiner any

not one of

emphasizes the individual units within the group being negated

neither of

specifically restricts the negation to exactly two items

zero of

uses a mathematical or highly literal tone to indicate absence

not a single one of

provides maximum emphasis on the total exclusion of every individual part

hardly any of

softens the absolute negation to suggest a very small minority instead of total absence

none among

replaces the preposition of with among to emphasize the group dynamic

scarcely any of

more formal variation of hardly any of

no part of

focuses on the components or segments of a whole rather than countable items

nil of

extremely rare and technical, often used in specific data contexts

FAQs

How to use none of in a sentence?

You can use "none of" to indicate that not one part of a group or quantity is involved. For example, ""None of" the guests arrived on time" or ""None of" the cake was left".

Is none of singular or plural?

It depends on the noun following it. If followed by a singular or uncountable noun, use a singular verb. If followed by a plural noun, you can use a plural verb in casual contexts or a singular verb in strictly formal contexts. For more emphasis on individuality, you might use "not one of".

What can I say instead of none of?

Depending on your context, you could use alternatives like "not any of", "zero of", or for just two items, "neither of".

What is the difference between none of and neither of?

Use "none of" when referring to three or more items. Use "neither of" exclusively when referring to a group of exactly two items.