Grammar
No and none: talk about zero quantity
Mia asks whether there is any milk for coffee. Her flatmate says, “There's no milk left.” Later, Mia points at several cartons and says, “None of them is milk.” Both answers mean zero, but the word after them changes.
Choose no before a noun and none when the noun is already clear, including the pattern none of.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
There's no time left. /ðeəz nəʊ taɪm left/
The short answer
Put no before a noun. Use none without a following noun, or use none of before a named group. Say no money, but say none left or none of the money.
There's no bread on the shelf, but none is needed for dinner.
Why it works: No comes before bread. None replaces bread in the second part because the listener already knows what is meant.
6 more examples
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There's no milk left for coffee.
Milk is the noun after no, so no goes directly before it.
Not this:There
isn't any milkleft for coffee. What changes: This has the same basic meaning, but it uses not and any instead of no. -
We've got no tickets for Friday.
Tickets follows no, so the sentence names the zero quantity directly.
Not this:We
haven't got any ticketsfor Friday. What changes: This also means zero tickets, using a negative verb and any. -
None of the lights are on, so we're using candles.
The group is the lights, so none of comes before the named group.
Not this:
No lightsare on, so we're using candles. What changes: No can go straight before lights when the sentence names the quantity itself. -
I've asked three neighbours, but none could help us.
None replaces the three neighbours because they are already named.
Not this:
No neighbourcould help us. What changes: No comes before the singular noun neighbour. -
No one's replied to Mia's message.
No one means zero people. In this sentence, one's is a short form of one has.
Not this:
None of her classmateshas replied to Mia's message. What changes: None of identifies a particular group of people. -
None of the bread is fresh, so we're buying rolls.
Bread is uncountable, so the singular verb is fits this sentence.
Not this:There's
no fresh bread, so we're buying rolls. What changes: No is used directly before the noun bread.
Read the full guide
Start by looking at the next word. If a noun follows, no is usually the choice. If the noun has already appeared, none can stand in its place. When you name a group with the, these, my, or them, use none of before that group.
Put no before a noun
You may know that the amount is zero but pause before the next word. If that word is a noun, put no before it. Say no message, no messages, or no water. The noun tells the listener what has a zero amount.
There's no message from the clinic yet.
Message is the noun, so no comes directly before it.
Which word follows no in There are no clean cups?
Clean cups follows no. The phrase names the things that are not available.
Let none replace the noun
You do not need to repeat a noun when both people know it. None can replace the known noun phrase. After a question about available seats, a short answer can be None. It means no seats are available.
Are any of the seats free? None are free.
None replaces the seats, so another noun does not follow it.
Can you say none seats when you mean zero seats?
No. Say no seats, or say none when seats have already been mentioned.
Name a group with none of
A group may need a name so the listener knows exactly what you mean. Use none of before words such as the, these, my, or them. This pattern points to part of a known group and says that zero members fit the statement.
None of these keys opens the side door.
These keys names the group, so none of is needed before it.
Which phrase fits a known group: none of them or none them?
Use none of them. Of links none to the group you have named.
Choose no one for people
When you mean zero people, no one is often the plainest phrase. It works as the subject of a sentence: No one knows the answer. None can also refer to people when a group is already clear, especially in none of them or none of my friends.
No one is using the meeting room now.
No one names zero people without first naming a group.
Which phrase fits an unnamed group of people at the door?
Use no one if you mean that zero people are at the door.
Avoid two negative forms
No already gives a negative meaning. Do not add a second negative verb before it in a standard sentence. Say I have no plans, or I do not have any plans. Both sentences give one clear negative idea.
We don't have any change for the machine.
The negative verb goes with any. You can also say We have no change for the machine.
Which sentence is standard: I don't have no plans, or I have no plans?
Use I have no plans. The sentence already has its negative meaning in no.
Before you go
Remember this
Check whether a noun comes next. Use no before that noun: no phone calls, no water, no problem. Use none when the noun is already understood: “How much water is left?” “None.” Use none of when you point to a known group: none of the guests or none of them. Use no one when the group is people and you want a direct answer.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "No and none: talk about zero quantity"
What is the main difference between no and none?
Use no directly before a noun, as in no milk or no messages. Use none when the noun is already understood, as in “How many messages came?” “None.” None can also begin a phrase with of when you identify a group.
There's no milk left for coffee.
Can none come before a noun?
None does not normally go directly before a noun. Say no tickets when the noun follows. Say none when tickets are already clear, or none of the tickets when you identify that particular group.
There isn't any milk left for coffee.
When do I use none of?
Use none of before a known group, such as none of the books, none of these, or none of them. The words after of tell the listener which group has zero members that fit the statement.
We've got no tickets for Friday.
Should I use no one or none for people?
Use no one when you simply mean zero people and have not named a group. Use none when the group is already known, as in none of my friends. Both forms can refer to people, but they fit different sentence patterns.
We haven't got any tickets for Friday.
Can I use no with a negative verb?
In standard English, use one negative pattern. Say I have no time or I do not have any time. Putting a negative verb together with no can create a double negative that does not match the intended meaning.
None of the lights are on, so we're using candles.