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Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

"Not one" v.s. "Not any" - Indefinite Pronoun "none"

What is the difference between "not one' and "not any"?

None, an indefinite pronoun, is singular when it means "not one," and plural when it means "not any."

However, I cannot tell the difference.

I feel like, it is both at the same time.

Assume all the clocks are broken. (In a given hypothetical situation)

Not one of the clocks is working.

Also, not any of the clocks are working.

None of the representatives (agrees, agree) on a date.

Which is it?

Not one of them agrees. Also, not any of them agree at the same time

I'm leaning more towards "agrees" for the example. I would love feedback, insight, or an explanation for this!!
  

Top answer

Hi. See point #1 in this reference.

  • Hi.
  • See point #1 in this reference.
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3 Answers
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Lol. I found what you linked when trying to search for my quesion, via Google.

So, it really doesn't matter which you use, unless some other word modifies the quantity of the antecedent in question?

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