Spoonful #6: USING INDEFINITE PRONOUNS

HAVE NO FEAR!
SENTENCES  WITH INDEFINITE PRONOUNS (AS SUBJECTS) ARE HERE!!

ALWAYS SINGULAR
Little is known about the possibility of life on other planets.
Everything looks wonderful, so don't fret. 
No one is exempt from taking this test. Period.

ALWAYS PLURAL
Few students are ready to take the SAT without studying first.
Others claim exemption from the assembly, but that's not fair.

SINGULAR OR PLURAL

​SINGULAR: Any suggestion is appreciated. 
PLURAL: Have any questionnaires come back yet? 

SINGULAR: None of the tree was damaged from the storm.
PLURAL: None of John's answers were correct, despite how hard he studied.

Here's my overall suggestion about the ones that flip-flop from singular to plural: if the related noun appears singular (like with "suggestion" and "tree") opt for a singular verb. If the related noun appears plural (like with "questionnaires" and "answers"), opt for a plural verb instead. For a more thorough explanation, go to quickanddirtytips.com to learn what Grammar Girl has to say. 

In my next spoonful, I'll be switching over to punctuation! Stay tuned to discover which topic will be covered first!

Sincerely,
Laura Fineberg Cooper

www.laurafcooper.com
cooperlaura@yahoo.com

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