[P-Marlowe]

None of us was

Obviously not a Harvard graduate.

[kristinn]

Cheney Mason has been known to communicate in the common vernacular.

[livius]

No, he’s correct. None is a singular pronoun, basically a contraction of “not one,” and thus takes the verb in the singular.

However, there are times when the plural is also correct, such as the case where there is an implication that “none” refers to a group of people.

In this case, though, the singular was fine.

[snarkytart]

Yea? So what. He’s good at what he does.

[SeaHawkFan]

I think it would be fair to say that the word "there" after "was" can easily be implied. That being the case, it isn't poor grammar.

Obviously not a Harvard graduate.

A Harvard education is way over-rated. After all, GWB has a Harvard MBA.

Did you know that Harvard Law no longer requires a course on the U.S. Constitution?

[Kinder Gentler Machinegun Hand]

I think technically he is correct about “none was.”

... although we don’t speak that way.

[New Jersey Realist]

I think “none of was there” is correct. However “The fact is there is lots of racial bigotry in this case” should be changed to read, “the fact is there is a lot of racial...”

[shhrubbery!]

Obviously not a Harvard graduate.

There is nothing wrong with Mason's grammar in his statement, "None of us was."

So perhaps you are criticizing Harvard graduates?

[Revolting cat!]

Yeah, it oughta be ‘nonna us guys wuz’!