EnglishGrammar Tips, Determiners, Adjectives, Pronouns The words no and none both tell you that the amount of something is zero. In general, the difference is simple: use no before a nounNo definition set for nounLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. and use none to replace a noun (as a pronounNo definition set for pronounLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.)
noun
I saw no birds. → I saw none.
But there is more to learn if you want to use these words correctly! In this post, we will first look at the difference between no and none, then we’ll look individually at all of the uses of each of these words in English.
That may sound like a lot, but there is no reason you can’t figure these two words out. None of the rules are too hard!
What is the difference between ‘no’ and ‘none’?
The words no and none have the same meaning (a zero amount) but different grammar. Here’s a chart that shows their basic grammar points:
| | | |
| | He received none of the money. | |
As you can see:
The words no and none are negative words! This means that, like other English negative words, they cannot be used after not or other negative wordsNo definition set for negative wordsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.! This is because of the “no double negatives” grammar rule. Instead, we use the positive word any:
❌ I don’t see no books on the table.
✅ I don’t see any books on the table.
❌ She has never brought none of her toys to school.
✅ She has never brought any of her toys to school.
Have a look at our post on any and some to learn more about using the word any, and to learn about why we use any here instead of some!
⤷TIPSome English speakers do use double negatives, so you might hear I don’t see no books on the table. However, in most dialects this is considered an error, especially in writing. English learners should practice using a positive verb.
But, there’s more to learn! Let’s look at all the uses of these two words in detail to get a better understanding of the grammar, and what they mean when you use them.
How to use ‘no’ in English?
There are three main ways to use the word no in English, but in this post, we’ll focus just on the third use:
As a negative answer to a basic yes / no question:
Before an English comparative adjective, to mean not:
Patrick is no taller than Susan.
→ Patrick is not taller than Susan.
Susan is no more intelligent than Patrick.
→ Patrick is not more intelligent than Susan.
Before a noun, to say that the amount is zero → THIS is the topic of the current post!
There are no books on the table.
→ Zero books are on the table.
→ Zero milk is in the class.
Let’s look a little more closely at all the different ways you can use no + noun!
How to use ‘no’ + noun in English?
Here are some rules to remember about using no before a noun:
Use no before a singularNo definition set for singularLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. mass nounNo definition set for mass nounLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. or a pluralNo definition set for pluralLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. count nounNo definition set for count nounLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.:
mass noun
There is no mayonnaise left in the jar.
count noun
There are no books left on the table.
Make sure your verbNo definition set for verbLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. agreesNo definition set for agreesLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. with the noun!
There are a few cases where you can use no before a singular count noun:
To mean not one of all (a little poetic):
No book tells that story better.
→ Not one of all books tells that story better.
When you only expected only one (this is a little casual):
Speaker B:No, they said that there is no green bag in the lost-and-found.
In certain set phrases:
I have no clue what’s going on.
→ Most of these phrases express that you have zero knowledge or thoughts: no idea, no clue, no sign, etc.
As a way to say is not + noun (often found in quotes or idioms):
→ This is a famous line from the book and film “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."
→ English speakers often use this instead of you're welcome.
Like other quantifying adjectives in English, we put no before other adjectivesNo definition set for adjectivesLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum....
There are no big shiny stickers on my paper.
… and we do not use them with a noun that has a determiner:
❌ No my toys are in the bin.
❌ I spilled no this milk.
If you need to use a determiner, use none of instead:
✅ None of my toys are in the bin.
✅ I spilled none of this milk.
The word no is used to create several other negative pronounsNo definition set for pronounsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.:
You can also use these words whenever you would use no + noun. They are always used with singular verbs.
Can you use ‘no’ + noun in a question?
You can use no + noun in a question, but it is unusual because it asks someone to confirm something you already know: that the quantity is zero.
Are there no pencils in this drawer at all?
→ I already looked and saw zero pencils. I am surprised. Could it really be true?
To ask about whether something exists in a more neutral way, you will want to leave out the word no or use the word any instead.
Are there any pencils in this drawer?
→ I did not look, so I am asking you.
To learn more about how to use the word any in questions, check out our post on some and any in English!
English signs with ‘no’ + noun
When a sign says no + noun, it means that noun is not allowed. For example:
Dogs are not allowed here.
Cell phones are not allowed here.
Often you will see signs that say no + gerund (verb + -ing). This means that you are not allowed to do that action. Here are some common signs like this in the USA, we’ll start with easy ones and get more difficult!
You are not allowed to park a car here.
You are not allowed to smoke here.
You are not allowed to swim here.
You are not allowed to dive into the pool here.
You are not allowed to stop driving here.
You are not allowed to go here (because it is private land).
You are not allowed to ask people to buy things here.
You are not allowed to stand or sit on the sidewalk here.
The words loitering, tresspassing, and soliciting are all legal words, which are uncommon in everyday speech, but you should still recognize them on a sign!
However, sometimes no + noun on a sign has the same meaning it has in other contexts:
There is no lifeguard here.
How to use ‘none’ in English?
There are two main ways to use the word none in English:
Use none instead of no + noun
There are no books. → There are none.
There is no whole milk. → There is none.
Notice the verb! None can be singular or plural, depending on what it replaces!
Use none + of + noun, to mean: no noun from a set, mass, collection, or group
My dog ate no food from her dinner. → My dog ate none of her dinner.
No children from my children like broccoli. → None of my children like broccoli.
The noun that comes after none of needs to describe a specific group, collection, mass, or set. This means that it will almost always start with a definite article (the), a possessive adjective (my, your, his, their...), or a demonstrative adjective (this, those...). These are all called definite determiners.
None of these books is a history book.
I ate none of the oatmeal in my bowl .
If you already talked about the group, collection, mass, or set, you can use a pronoun instead.
These cakes? I baked none of them.
This oatmeal? I ate none of it.
I did eat some of my cookies, but I ate none of yours.
Remember that because we use none like we use no + noun, similar rules apply:
Do not use none in a sentence with a negative verb.
Using none in a question shows surprise.
Do not use none if you are expecting exactly two specific nouns! Look at this:
Three boys signed up for the class. None (of the boys) came on time.
Two boys signed up for the class. Neither (of the boys) came on time.
When you are talking about two specific things, ideas, people, etc., you’ll use the word neither instead. Read up about the word neither in our post on using both, either, and neither in English!
The word none comes from ne(not) + an(one) in Middle English. So, none actually means not one. That’s why it can be used as a pronoun! It includes the meaning of the pronoun one.
In both of the main uses of none, none replaces a noun, so we therefore say that none is a pronoun. Specifically, it is an indefinite pronoun.
Summing up
The words no and none are really useful. In this post you've seen that:
Both no and none can mean zero.
We use no before a noun (There is no candy left.)
We use none to replace no + noun:
by itself (There are none left.)
with of + group, collection, mass, set (None of the candy is left.)
It is best to use no and none in sentences with positive verbs, and avoid using them in questions.
No + noun on a sign means that something is not allowed.
The best way to get these words into your everyday English is to practice them. Why not check out these activities on the words no and none? You’ll find they’re easy once you’ve repeated them a bit.
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