The Grammar Doctor

Q. I did a brief search of your website, but couldn't find an answer to a rather obscure question I have.
Much like "none is" vs. "none are" (I assume it's "none is", personally, since none is an archaic contraction of not one), what should one say in the following circumstance?
"The majority of Canadians [pres. tense "to be"] anglophone".
Is it "is" or "are"? "Majority" implies plurality. However, "majority" also implies a distinct group, which would be singularity. Also for minority?

A. "Majority" is a collective noun. Collective nouns represent a group. If the group is acting as a unit, the singular form of the verb is required. If members of the group are acting separately, we need the plural form of the verb. In your sentence individual Canadians either are or are not anglophone, so the sentence should be:
"The majority of Canadians are anglophone."

According the the Gregg Reference Manual, in more formal usage "'none' is considered a singular pronoun." However, in more general usage "none" can be either singular or plural depending on the noun it refers to:
None of the food was eaten.
None of the apples were damaged.


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