No, None & Any

Form

Use no before a noun, none on its own or before of, and any after not or without.

No goes straight in front of a noun and makes the sentence negative by itself (There is no coffee left). None replaces a noun the listener already knows, standing alone or before of (None of the students passed). Any goes in after a negative verb, after a negative-sounding word like without or hardly, and in a question that asks whether something exists at all (I do not have any change; Is there any milk?) — plus one positive use, meaning that it does not matter which (Take any seat you like).

When to Use It

1. 1

   Use no in front of a noun when the verb is positive, because no is what makes the sentence negative

   The vet found no sign of injury.

2. 2

   Use none as a pronoun — alone, or before of — where the noun is already understood

   None of the applicants had the experience the role demanded.

3. 3

   Use any after a negative verb, since standard English puts only one negative in a clause

   She did not make any mistakes.

4. 4

   Use any in a question that asks whether something exists at all

   Is there any parking near the hotel?

5. 5

   Use any after a word that is already negative in meaning, such as without, hardly or never

   She walked out without any explanation.

6. 6

   Use any before a singular noun in a positive sentence to mean that it does not matter which one

   You can take any pen you like.

Common Mistakes

• Putting a noun straight after none: write no tickets or none of the tickets, not none tickets — none is a pronoun, so it takes of or nothing.
• Two negatives in one clause: write She did not make any mistakes, not She did not make no mistakes — one negative per clause is enough in standard English.
• None of for exactly two things: write neither of the two proposals, not none of the two proposals — none of needs a group of three or more.
• Using any where some belongs: write There are some messages waiting for you, not There are any messages — and offers and requests keep some even when they are questions ('Would you like some coffee?').
• Doubling the negative after without: write without any warning, not without no warning — without is already negative, so the noun after it takes any.