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Anonymous Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

Have the one or the other?

Hi. Please help. I am sure if we have a choice between two different items, like ice cream or cake, we usually use the phrase "one or the other" to indicate option that is available, as in "You can have one or the other."

But I think I have seen the definite article "the" placed before the word "one." Could we say or write "You can have the one or the other" in the context described? Thank you in advance for your help.
  

Top answer

Anonymous Could we say or write "You can have the one or the other" in the context described? The first "the" is completely unnecessary, so there is no reason to use it.

— Canadian45

  • Anonymous Could we say or write "You can have the one or the other" in the context described?
  • The first "the" is completely unnecessary, so there is no reason to use it.
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5 Answers
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AnonymousCould we say or write "You can have the one or the other" in the context described?
The first "the" is completely unnecessary, so there is no reason to use it.
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Thank you. Please help with this, too. Let's say there are two people, A and B, and A says the two pencils, of which one is colored blue and the other red, in front of them are the same length. But B says the red one is longer. Now, B takes out the measuring tape and measure the length of both pencils and comes out with the result that indicates the red pencil is longer than the other. Can B say t
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That's not wrong, but it would be more common and more natural to say
eg See, the red one is longer.
eg See, this one is longer.

Clive
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Anonymous"You can have one or the other."
But I think I have seen the definite article "the" placed before the word "one." Could we say or write "You can have the one or the other" in the context described?
You most likely have indeed seen "the" placed before "one". This is also used. You certainly can use "the one or the other" in the context described.
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AnonymousCan B say this to A? ... "See, the result shows the one is longer than the other."
No. In my opinion you have to make it clear in this case whether the reference is indefinite or definite.

You need to make it indefinite: ... shows that one is longer than the other. (Here you are not saying specifically which one is the longe
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