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<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT
face=arial,helvetica><FONT size=2>According to many grammar books, the number
of the indefinite pronouns, such <BR>as "some," "all," none," etc., depends on
the number of the object of the <BR>preposition. <BR>Thus, if the object is
considered singular, the singular verb is used; <BR>likewise, when the object
is plural, so should the verb be. The following <BR>are examples:
<BR>"Some of the money is. . . ." "Some of the people are. . . ."
None of <BR>the cake is. . . ."
"None of the cakes are. . . ." All of the protest is.
<BR>. . ." <BR>"All of the protests are. . . ." <BR>I don't know how stilted
your example would sound, but, in light of the <BR>above rule, it would be
considered inaccurate.
<BR> PAT</FONT>
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<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT face=Arial>Thanks for your response.
</FONT></SPAN><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT face=Arial>So what about this
example from the latest edition of Fowler's?</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT face=Arial>"So far none of Gorbachev's
many pronouncements has changed things on the ground." </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT face=Arial>Or this one from Sidney
Greenbaum's Oxford English Grammar (1996:193)?</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT face=Arial>"There have been six
federal presidents since the birth of the federal state and none has been as
popular as the present president."</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT face=Arial>Quirk's comprehensive
grammar says that both these examples are acceptable
(p.376):</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT face=Arial>Some reactions to the
proposal may be hostile, but none such has yet been
reported.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT
face=Arial>Some reactions to the proposal may be hostile, but none such has yet
been reported.</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT
face=Arial>And both these are okay as well (p.392):</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT
face=Arial>None of the students has failed.</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT
face=Arial>None of the students have failed.</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT
face=Arial>And (p. 764):</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT
face=Arial>None of the books has been placed on the
shelves.</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT
face=Arial>None of the books have been placed on the
shelves.</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT
face=Arial>I'm left wondering whether <SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">"none of the shark attacks in Florida has
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
/><o:p></o:p></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">involved..."
is stilted. It's my impression that many English speakers would prefer
"none...has" to "none...have" in written English, although Fowler
okayed "none...have" as early as the 1926 edition of Modern
English Usage. Then again, I'm not a
grammarian.</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT
face=Arial><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT
face=Arial><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">Paul</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT
face=Arial><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
size=2>--<BR>Paul Frank<BR>Business, financial and legal translation<BR>From
German, French, Chinese, Italian,<BR>Spanish and Portuguese into English<BR><A
href="mailto:paulfrank@post.harvard.edu">mailto:paulfrank@post.harvard.edu</A><BR>46°23'11.11''N
6°41'57.12''E<BR></FONT></DIV></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></SPAN>
<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT
face=Arial><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><SPAN class=320373806-17042001><FONT
face=Arial><SPAN
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