This is a very good question indeed. There isn抰 total agreement among
grammarians about the necessity to use a singular verb with none
when referring to count nouns or to plural pronouns (us in
the question you ask). (With noncount nouns, there is no problem: the
singular verb comes easily, as in 揘one of the information was
correct?and 揘one of this water is drinkable.?
It used to be asserted that none mean 搉ot one.?Because
the word 搊ne?is singular, it was prescribed that none,
as well as 搊ne,?require a singular verb.
The plural use, however, is not wrong, according to The American
Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (Houghton Mifflin Company,
1996, p.1230):
Either a singular or a plural verb is acceptably used in a sentence
such as 揘one of the conspirators has (or have) been brought to trial.?
This conflict of rules is described in The Grammar Book, 2nd
ed. (Heinle & Heinle, 1999, p.63):
When none refers to a plural noun梙uman or nonhuman梪sage
seems to be more or less equally divided between the singular and
plural inflection卛n the survey cited.
None of those firemen _____ (enjoy: 47%; enjoys: 53%) hearing the
alarm go off.
None of the costumes he has tried _____ (fit: 50 %; fits: 50%)
him.
From the same source, p.64:
Clearly, the traditional prescription that none
is always singular is inadequate?ESL/EFL teachers must be aware of
the fact that when the subject none refers to a plural
countable noun, the plural verb inflection may well be used if current
usage is any indication.
Betty Azar, in Understanding and Using English Grammar, 3rd
ed. (Pearson Education, 2002, p. 89), gives examples of both 搃s?and
揳re?used with none, referring to count nouns: 揘one
of the boys is here?and 揘one of the boys are
here.?The explanation states: 揝ubjects with none
of are considered singular in very formal English, but plural
verbs are often used in informal speech and writing.?
So, as is often the case in modern English grammar, there is no one
answer. The wording you choose illustrates how formal or informal or
揷orrect?you wish to be in your expression. In your example sentence,
both None of us want and None of us wants
are correct.
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