Grammar
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 185
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From: Co.Durham UK
Carrying on with the english lesson now it has started.........Lardy I think you will find that although you are correct in what you stated the word WAS or WERE is with reference to"them" which is plural therefore correct answer is were.
I sh#t you not
I sh#t you not
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 151
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From: Yorkshire, UK
"Was" is used in the case of one person (singular) ie. "I was listening to the radio"
"Were" is used for several people (plural) ie. "They were listening to the radio"
So "None of them were injured" is correct.
"Were" is used for several people (plural) ie. "They were listening to the radio"
So "None of them were injured" is correct.
Last edited by GrantT; 31st May 2003 at 04:04.
Joined: Jul 1998
Posts: 80
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From: USA
This is absolutely pathetic. I'm not a native English speaker, but I can tell you for certain it should be "was" not "were". The person who said it should be "were" because of the word "them" should go take a grammar refresher course. Do you say "one of them were"? I hope not! "One of them was" is right, so is "none of them was".
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 6
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From: UK
Fellow pedants, rivetted by this absorbing subject I consulted Hutchinson's Dictionary of English Usage and find that I need to eat a bit of humble pie (but not the whole slice): " "None".......in a plural context, both a plural verb: "None of my friends were there" and a singular verb: "None of my friends was there" can be used. In general, a plural verb sounds more natural and unaffected, and is to be preferred."
Pathetic? Not at all, unless you think that words are meaningless anyway. You're not the UK Education Secretary, are you?
Pathetic? Not at all, unless you think that words are meaningless anyway. You're not the UK Education Secretary, are you?
Joined: Jul 1998
Posts: 80
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From: USA
Sigmund:
Okay. I checked the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and it says "none" can be used in singular or plural construction. Nevertheless, when I said pathetic, I was mostly referring to the person who said it should be "were" because the subject was "them".
Anyway, in my mother tongue, we don't have to worry about plurals or singulars. It's so much easier.
Okay. I checked the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and it says "none" can be used in singular or plural construction. Nevertheless, when I said pathetic, I was mostly referring to the person who said it should be "were" because the subject was "them".
Anyway, in my mother tongue, we don't have to worry about plurals or singulars. It's so much easier.
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 163
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From: UK
Ok.
Here in England we would say ''None of them were injured''
Over the pond there, you guys would say ''None of them was injured''.
Most people would take the view that the English version is correct, and call the other one an 'Americanisation'. Or should that be 'Americanization'?!
MR XxX
Here in England we would say ''None of them were injured''
Over the pond there, you guys would say ''None of them was injured''.
Most people would take the view that the English version is correct, and call the other one an 'Americanisation'. Or should that be 'Americanization'?!
MR XxX
Grim Sleeper
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 179
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From: UK
Oh give up you lot!!!
We start off talking about a serious incident and the majority of the thread is a load of arguing about banal grammatic trivia!
Obviously pilots' CRM courses have been wildly successful in preventing this kind of puerile gainsaying and the "I'm right, I must have the last word" mentality.
We start off talking about a serious incident and the majority of the thread is a load of arguing about banal grammatic trivia!
Obviously pilots' CRM courses have been wildly successful in preventing this kind of puerile gainsaying and the "I'm right, I must have the last word" mentality.
Plastic PPRuNer
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 1,902
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From: Rochechouart, France
Gosh! Never been here before...
What a wierd place....!
Voice sort of echoes around, doesn't it?
Hallo!
.hallo..
..allo..
...lo...
....o...
Do you think anyone else from PPRuNe have ever been here?
Doesn't look like it!
But wait! There'sa sweet-paper over there!
And another!
They look like those things Draper sucks!
Lets follow them!
Careful not to fall in the grammatical chasm!
I wont!
You mean "I won't"
I mean "We won't"
aaaAAAArrrggggghhhhh!
What a wierd place....!
Voice sort of echoes around, doesn't it?
Hallo!
.hallo..
..allo..
...lo...
....o...
Do you think anyone else from PPRuNe have ever been here?
Doesn't look like it!
But wait! There'sa sweet-paper over there!
And another!
They look like those things Draper sucks!
Lets follow them!
Careful not to fall in the grammatical chasm!
I wont!
You mean "I won't"
I mean "We won't"
aaaAAAArrrggggghhhhh!
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 225
Likes: 0
From: Sussex
Is this the 5 minute argument, or the full half hour?
Was is correct
Now would that be the imperfect, perfect or plu-perfect tense?
Was is correct
Whoa hold on there MR you may be called "pathetic" for using the incorrect past tense
