ONE & ONES
Dr. Muhammad Shahbaz
I. Examples:
* Where’s your car?
Over there. The green car.
Is it ok for us to
repeat those
underlined words
so many times?
* My shoes was so uncomfortable that I had
to go out today and buy some new shoes.
How can we say
these two sentences
without repeating
the word “car” and
“shoes”?
II. How to use one & ones
1.
2.
3.
4.
Usage
Don’t use one & ones
Can leave out one & ones
Cannot leave out one & ones
1. Usage
a. Use one instead of repeating a singular
countable noun
Ex: * “Is this your umbrella?” “No, mine’s the big
blue one (= umbrella)”.
* “Can I get you a drink?” “it’s okay, I’ve
already got one (= a drink)”
b. Be used instead of repeating of a
plural noun
Ex: I think his best poems are his early ones
(= poems)
People who smoke aren’t the only ones
(= people) affected by lung cancer.
c. Don’t use one & ones instead of an
uncountable noun
Ex: If you need any more paper, I’ll bring
you some (not … one/ones)
I asked him to get apple juice, but he
got orange (not…orange one/ones)
2. Don’t use one & ones
a. After the article ‘a’ – instead we leave out
‘a’
Ex: Have we got any lemons? I need one for a
meal I’m cooking (not…need a one)
b. After nouns used as adjectives:
Ex: I thought I’d put the keys in my trouser
pocket, but in fact they were in my jacket
pocket (not…my jacket one)
c. Instead of using one/ones after
personal pronouns (my, your, her,
etc.) we prefer mine, yours, hers,
etc…
Ex: I’d really like a watch like yours
(or…like your one –in informal speech)
My house is as big as hers (= her one)
3. Can leave out one/ones
a. After which
Ex: When we buy medicines, we have no
way of knowing which (ones) contain
sugar.
b. After superlatives:
Ex: Look at that pumpkin! It’s the biggest
(one) I have seen this year.
c. After this, that, these, those
Ex: The last test I did was quite easy, but some
parts of this (one) are really difficult.
d. After either, neither, another, each, the
first/second/last …
Ex: She pointed to the painting and said “I could
take either (one). ( or … either of them)
4. Can’t leave out one/ones
a. After the, the only, the main, every
Ex: When you cook clams you shouldn’t eat the
ones that don’t open
After I got the glasses home, I found that
every one was broken
b. After adjectives
Ex: My shoes were so uncomfortable that I have
to go out today and buy some new ones.
III. Exercise:
A. Fill in the blanks with ONE or ONES:
1. A: This map isn’t very good.
B: I have a better one
___. You can use mine.
2. A: This city is too crowded. Most of the houses here are
small.
B: There are large ones
___ in the suburban areas.
3. A: Do you like this movie?
B: Not much. It isn’t as good as the one
___ I saw last week.
4. A: They hope to complete the construction of this 32 – story
concrete building next May.
B: Then it will be the tallest one
___ in our city.
5. A: Birth control programs are implemented here.
B: But the ones
___ in the countryside are not workable.
B. Work in pairs and make your own sentences using
ONE and ONES
Ex: A: I’d like a box of tissues.
B: Do you want a large or a small one?