Re: [Help-smalltalk] [RFC] #noneSatisfy: vs. #noneSatisfies:

[Frank Sergeant]

Paolo Bonzini <address@hidden> wrote:

> I'd appreciate a word from native English speakers.  Squeak has
> #noneSatisfy: but the correct one from the grammar POV seems
> #noneSatisfies: to me.

My girlfriend's father insists that "none" should always be singular.
His reason is that it stands for "not one".  Recently, somewhere on the
web, a grammar article seemed to say that "none" could stand for "not
any" as well as "not one"; thus singular or plural is correct.  I don't
see how that helps.  Throughout my life, I have tended to treat "none"
as plural.  "None dare call it treason".  "None of the rabbits are
eating well."  Etc.

So, intellectually, I tend to agree that it should be singular and also
that either singular or plural is acceptable.  Still, the plural usage
falls more naturally upon my ear (even if it shouldn't?).


-- 
Frank