none/ no one/ not one/ never grammar question

None is the pronoun form of no. None means ‘not one’ or ‘not any’. We use it as a pronoun to replace countable and uncountable nouns. We use it as subject or object:

Mary stared … and seemed to try to find some strength which would let her speak. But none came. (No strength came.)

My mother had two brothers. My father had none. (My father didn’t have any brothers.)

A: What reasons did he give?
B: None.

b. no one
This is incorrect because 'no one' means an absence of persons, and a shop is not a person.

c. not one
This phrase means 'none of a group or collection' e.g. not one of the boys could swim; not one of the houses had a garage.


d. never
This is an adverb meaning 'at no time in the past or future; not ever'. The missing word cannot be an adverb.

Thank you that is very helpful!! Great answer.

And 'none' can replace 'not one' in each of your example sentences, can it not, centrox?

And in the original question,

He was surprised to see a shop where _________ had existed before.
a. none
b. no one
c. not one
d. never

both a. and c. are possibilities.

try ' nobody ' it works. Why stop there, maybe enhance it and say 'nothing' that sounds even more mysterious.

In English, a shop isn't referenced with 'nobody'.