none

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which is not a shortening of no one but a descendant of an Old English pronoun, may be followed by a singular or a plural verb, depending on the sense. When individuality is being emphasized, or when none refers to something that cannot be plural, a singular form is used:
A fear which we cannot know, which we cannot face, which none understands—T. S. Eliot, 1935
She is rather difficult to describe physically, for none of her features is particularly striking—David Lodge, 1962
None of this was a matter of treachery—P. Wright, 1987
It was afternoon, a quiet time—none of the other tables was occupied and he heard no sound from inside the bar—B. Unsworth, 1996.
When collectivity is the dominant notion, a plural form is used:
Though she had many affairs, none were lighthearted romances—New Yorker, 1987
None of these situations exist here—Independent, 2003.

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