Indefinite-Pronoun Subjects (everyone/none/each)

You're halfway through an email you'd like to sound competent — a report going up the chain, maybe — and you type:

None of the data are very clear…

You pause. Are looks a bit odd. So you change it:

None of the data is very clear…

Now it reads better — but you're still not certain it would get past a picky manager, never mind a recruiter skim-reading your covering letter.

Let's be honest — you've probably been "corrected" in both directions over the years, by different people, each of them sure they were right. Singular or plural after these slippery little words — none, all, some, most, any — is one of those things that can make a perfectly capable adult second-guess themselves mid-sentence. Add in the old classics — everyone is/are, each of the documents was/were — and it's no wonder people hesitate.

Here's the thing. There is a coherent pattern under all of this. Nobody's born knowing it — I certainly wasn't — but once you've got it, you can handle these with a bit of quiet confidence instead of gambling every time you hit send.

One boundary first, because it keeps everything clean. Here we're looking at these words purely as subjects, choosing the verb:

• Everyone is welcome.
• Some of the files are missing.

We are not reopening the whole everyone brought their laptop debate — that's the pronoun-antecedent side of the same words, singular they and all, and it's dealt with properly in Pillar 2, H2.6. If that's the itch you're scratching, go there directly.

Before you read on, here's where we're heading. By the end you'll be able to: - Recognise the indefinite pronouns that always take a singular verb. - Use the consistently plural ones without a second thought. - Apply a simple "of-phrase" test to flexible pronouns like none, some, all, most, any, more. - Make clean choices in formal writing — reports, applications, emails — and know when everyday speech can be looser.

Beginner (Foundation)

Let's start with the two easy groups: the pronouns that are always singular, and those that are always plural.

Indefinite pronouns stand in for people or things in a general way — everyone, somebody, few, none — without naming them. When one of them is the subject, you've got a decision to make about the verb. For most of them, that decision has already been made for you.

The always-singular crowd

These refer to people one at a time, or to "one of two" options. Even when they feel like they're describing a whole roomful of people, we treat them grammatically as singular:

• everyone, everybody
• someone, somebody
• anyone, anybody
• no one, nobody
• each
• either
• neither
• Everyone is invited to the meeting. ✅ (Not: everyone are invited ❌)
• Someone has left their keys in the kitchen.
• Each of the reports was reviewed.
• Either option is fine for me.
• Neither suggestion is realistic.

And — this is the one that catches people — even with an of-phrase trailing behind, they stay singular:

• Each of the candidates was shortlisted.
• Neither of the emails was sent on time.

Common Mistake: Each of the candidates are… ❌ The pull is to match candidates. But the subject is each — singular — so it's was, not were.

The always-plural crowd

The other group is the easy-going one. Some indefinite pronouns are plainly about more than one thing, and they behave like any ordinary plural noun:

• both
• few
• many
• several
• Both are acceptable answers.
• Few have completed the training.
• Many were interested in the role.
• Several have already replied.

With of-phrases, again, nothing shifts:

• Both of the proposals are on the table.
• Many of the applicants are recent graduates.
• Several of my colleagues have raised concerns.

Pro-Tip: If you can naturally say "[pronoun] are…" — Both are…, Many are… — you're almost certainly in the plural-only group.

Quick recap: - Everyone, someone, anyone, no one, each, either, neither → always singular. - Both, few, many, several → always plural. - Don't be distracted by a plural noun in an of-phrase; the subject is the pronoun itself. - These two groups are solid ground before we reach the flexible ones.

Intermediate (Development)

Now the real reason you're here — the pronouns that can swing either way depending on what follows them. They turn up constantly in everyday and professional writing, and they're precisely where people worry about being caught out.

When you see one of these — none, any, all, some, most, more — followed by an of-phrase, the verb can be singular or plural. The trick is to look at the noun inside that phrase and let it make the call.

It helps to think of the pronoun as a container. None of the students isn't really about "none" — it's about students, and none is just telling you the quantity. So the verb agrees with what's inside:

Look at the noun after of. If it's singular or uncountable, use a singular verb. If it's plural, use a plural verb.

None: - None of the cake is left. (cake — uncountable → singular) - None of the students are coming. (students — plural → plural)

Some: - Some of the information is out of date. (information — uncountable) - Some of the documents are missing. (documents — plural)

All: - All of the furniture is new. (furniture — uncountable) - All of the files are stored online. (files — plural)

And the same logic runs straight through any, most, more:

• Any of the milk is fine.
• Any of the candidates are welcome to apply again.
• Most of the work was completed yesterday.
• Most of the employees were satisfied.
• More of the budget is going to training.
• More of the staff are working remotely. (staff treated as plural in sense — for the collective-noun side of that, see Pillar 1)

Common Mistake: Being "consistent" in the wrong direction: ❌ None of the students is coming; none of the cake are left. Consistency here means following the noun after of — not forcing the pronoun to behave the same way every time. The of-phrase drives the verb.

If you're ever unsure, use the same scruffy trick I'd use myself — shrink the sentence down to the noun after of and the verb:

• None of the cake is left. → The cake is left. (OK)
• Some of the reports were delayed. → The reports were delayed. (OK)

If the stripped-down version sounds off, your verb probably is.

Pro-Tip: If you can put a number in front of the noun — three reports, five candidates — it's countable, and in the plural it takes a plural verb here. If a number sounds daft — three furniture, five information — it's uncountable and takes a singular verb.

Quick recap: - None, any, all, some, most, more can be singular or plural as subjects. - Check the noun in the of-phrase: singular/uncountable → singular; plural → plural. - Don't force a one-size-fits-all rule on none — follow the noun. - Use the "shrink the sentence" trick to double-check.

Advanced (Mastery)

By now you can get the verb right mechanically — which is most of the battle. Let's talk about the nuance: the style choices, the old "rules" you may have been handed, and how real-world usage bends the lines.

The long-running fuss about none

You may have heard that none must always be singular, because it comes from not one:

• None of the tickets is available.

Older style guides genuinely insisted on it. But modern English has relaxed, and native speakers lean plural when the noun after of is obviously plural:

• None of the tickets are available.
• None of the emails were answered.

Most major style guides now accept both — and the plural tends to win in everyday writing, especially when you're clearly picturing several separate things.

So, in serious writing — a report, an application, a proposal — here's a sensible modern line to take:

• With uncountable or clearly singular nouns, go singular: None of the research is conclusive.
• With clearly plural nouns, use whatever sounds natural, knowing most readers now expect the plural: None of the staff are available this afternoon.

And if you're writing for a very traditional audience — the kind who'll actually mark you down for it — you've got two safe outs: keep it singular throughout (None of the tickets is left, a touch stiff to some ears), or rephrase to sidestep the whole thing.

Pro-Tip: In high-stakes writing where you don't want anyone quibbling, rephrase none into no + noun — no staff are available. It's clear, it's natural, and there's nothing left for a grammar pedant to bite on.

Notional agreement — when meaning beats form

So far I've had you following the grammar fairly strictly: match the verb to the noun inside the of-phrase. In real life — spoken English especially — people often follow notional agreement instead: they match the verb to the idea of the group, even when the strict grammar points the other way. There's a full piece on it in Pillar 5.7; here's how it touches our corner of things.

• Most of my family are coming to the wedding. (you're thinking of individual people)
• Some of the audience were leaving early.

In very formal prose, some writers prefer the singular in these borderline cases — Most of my family is coming — and in British usage we're genuinely comfortable with both. The choice often comes down to whether you're picturing the group as a single unit or as separate people — which is exactly the collective-noun pattern set out in Pillar 1, so I won't rebuild it here.

For the flexible indefinite pronouns, though, the safe practice in professional or exam writing is still the of-phrase test. Use notional agreement in speech or informal writing if you like — just know you're making a style choice, not breaking a rule.

Where this joins the pronoun-antecedent world

You'll have noticed I've said nothing about Everyone brought their laptop or Someone has left their car lights on. That's deliberate. Those sentences raise a different question — how to match a later pronoun (their, his, her) back to everyone or someone — and it's also where singular they comes in.

All of that lives in Pillar 2, H2.6, with the fine detail in Pillar 5.8. Here, we've stayed firmly on one side of the fence: indefinite pronouns as subjects, and how they choose their verbs.

Common Mistake: Trying to solve both problems at once and tying yourself in knots: ❌ Everyone has brought his or her laptop and they are ready. Break it apart — subject-verb first (Everyone has brought…), then go and read the singular they article for the second half.

Quick recap: - None used to be strictly singular; modern usage is flexible, and plural is common with plural nouns. - In formal writing, follow the of-phrase noun; if in doubt, rephrase with no + noun. - Notional agreement matches the verb to the sense of "many" — common in speech and informal writing. - Everyone…their is a pronoun-antecedent question — Pillar 2 H2.6 and Pillar 5.8.

UK vs US Usage

For these pronouns, UK and US English mostly agree: everyone and friends take singular verbs; both, few, many, several take plural; and none, any, all, some, most, more follow the noun in the of-phrase.

The one real difference is tone and frequency, and it clusters around none:

• In UK English, a plural verb with none + a plural noun is completely unremarkable: None of the staff are available.
• In US English, you're a little more likely to see the singular in formal prose: None of the staff is available.

Both patterns turn up in both dialects now, and most modern style guides allow either — so long as you stay consistent within a single document. For the broader UK/US split on collective nouns generally — the team is/are, the government is/are — see Pillar 1.

Key Takeaways

• Some indefinite pronouns are fixed: always singular (everyone, someone, anyone, no one, each, either, neither); always plural (both, few, many, several).
• Others are flexible: none, any, all, some, most, more.
• For the flexible ones, let the noun in the of-phrase drive the verb — singular/uncountable → singular; plural → plural.
• With none + a plural noun, modern English allows both; rephrase with no + noun to dodge the argument entirely.
• Pronoun-antecedent questions (everyone…their) are a separate topic, covered elsewhere in the library.

Check Your Understanding

1. Each of the proposals ___ (was / were) discussed in detail.
2. Many of the applicants ___ (has / have) previous experience.
3. Some of the equipment ___ (is / are) faulty, and some of the laptops ___ (is / are) overheating.
4. None of the customers ___ (is / are) likely to accept this delay. (both are defensible — pick the one you'd use in a report)
5. Rewrite to sidestep the none issue, keeping the meaning: None of the documents are available online.

Answer key

1. Each of the proposals was discussed in detail. — each is always singular.
2. Many of the applicants have previous experience. — many is always plural.
3. Some of the equipment is faulty, and some of the laptops are overheating. — equipment is uncountable → singular; laptops is plural → plural.
4. None of the customers are likely to accept this delay. — with a clear plural, plural is natural in modern usage (and standard in UK writing). In a very formal US context you might choose is; are won't raise eyebrows for most readers.
5. Either No documents are available online. or There are no documents available online. — both drop none while keeping the sense.

Related Articles

• Hub — the overall grammar roadmap.
• Pillar 1 — Basic subject-verb agreement (including the UK/US collective-noun split).
• Pillar 2, H2.6 — Indefinite pronouns and singular they (the antecedent side of everyone…their).
• Pillar 5.3 — Quantities and fractions as subjects (the same of-phrase logic applied to amounts).
• Pillar 5.7 — Notional concord (why usage has drifted toward plurals like none are).
• Pillar 5.8 — Advanced pronoun-antecedent agreement (indefinites acting as antecedents).