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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
'One' as a pronoun--what case, and is 'one's' or 'ones' used?
The chart below is neat, yet it doesn't provide information for the pronoun ?one'. As in ?One needs to look up words they don't understand'. Does ?one' have a case, and is the plural ?ones' or ?one's' good English. Webster's New Riverside University Dictionary has ?one' appearing as a pronoun, but there is no plural and no other information given.
John Freck
Pronoun Case
Personal Pronouns
Singular Subjective Objective Possessive First Person I me my, mine Second Person you you your, yours Third Person he, she, it him, her, it his, her, hers, its
Plural
First Person we us our, ours Second Person you you your, yours Third Person they them their, theirs
Relative and interrogative pronouns
Subjective Objective Possessive
who whom whose
whoever whomever
John Freck
Pronoun Case
Personal Pronouns
Singular Subjective Objective Possessive First Person I me my, mine Second Person you you your, yours Third Person he, she, it him, her, it his, her, hers, its
Plural
First Person we us our, ours Second Person you you your, yours Third Person they them their, theirs
Relative and interrogative pronouns
Subjective Objective Possessive
who whom whose
whoever whomever
Top answer
John Freck typed thus: What an interesting question about which I had never thought before. =20 The answers below are from an intuitive English speaker - others will=20 correct me if I'm wrong. "one" as a personal pronoun is nearly dead in modern English - it=20 remains in UK English as a more polite or more inclusive way of=20 saying "I" or "we".
- John Freck typed thus: What an interesting question about which I had never thought before.
- =20 The answers below are from an intuitive English speaker - others will=20 correct me if I'm wrong.
- "one" as a personal pronoun is nearly dead in modern English - it=20 remains in UK English as a more polite or more inclusive way of=20 saying "I" or "we".
- [nq:1]The chart below is neat, yet it doesn't provide information for the pronoun =91one'.
- [/nq] That sounds wrong to me.
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30 Answers
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John Freck typed thus:
What an interesting question about which I had never thought before. =20 The answers below are from an intuitive English speaker - others will=20 correct me if I'm wrong.
"one" as a personal pronoun is nearly dead in modern English - it=20 remains in UK English as a more polite or more inclusive way of=20 saying "I" or "we".
[nq:1]The chart below is neat, yet
What an interesting question about which I had never thought before. =20 The answers below are from an intuitive English speaker - others will=20 correct me if I'm wrong.
"one" as a personal pronoun is nearly dead in modern English - it=20 remains in UK English as a more polite or more inclusive way of=20 saying "I" or "we".
[nq:1]The chart below is neat, yet
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[nq:1]The chart below is neat, yet it doesn't provide information for the pronoun ?one'. As in ?One needs to look up words they don't understand'. Does ?one' have a case, and is the plural ?ones' or ?one's' good English.[/nq]
"One" in this context is an indefinite limiting adjective employed as a noun. It is essentially equivalent to "I" for grammatical purposes (and often literary ones), but
"One" in this context is an indefinite limiting adjective employed as a noun. It is essentially equivalent to "I" for grammatical purposes (and often literary ones), but
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[nq:1]The chart below is neat, yet it doesn't provide information for the pronoun ?one'. As in ?One needs to look up words they don't understand'. Does ?one' have a case, and is the plural ?ones' or ?one's' good English.[/nq]
They both are, but they say different things. It's okay to write
Most members were present, but certain ones were absent
but "One's" is possessive case, as i
They both are, but they say different things. It's okay to write
Most members were present, but certain ones were absent
but "One's" is possessive case, as i
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(sorry for top posting)
Bob, your response to the original poster is wonderful! I've also wondered from time to time about "one" as well as the other pronouns you introduce into the lesson. You have done a great job of explaining your answers. Nice going!
-YJ
[nq:2]The chart below is neat, yet it doesn't provide information ... case, and is the plural ?ones' or ?one's' good English.[/n
Bob, your response to the original poster is wonderful! I've also wondered from time to time about "one" as well as the other pronouns you introduce into the lesson. You have done a great job of explaining your answers. Nice going!
-YJ
[nq:2]The chart below is neat, yet it doesn't provide information ... case, and is the plural ?ones' or ?one's' good English.[/n
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[nq:1]The chart below is neat, yet it doesn't provide information for the pronoun â??one'. As in â??One needs to look up words they don't understand'.[/nq]
This sentence strikes me as really a problem. It's problem enough to follow he or she with they, but "one" is explicitly singular.
One needs to look up words he doesn't understand. Or One needs to look up words one doesn't understa
This sentence strikes me as really a problem. It's problem enough to follow he or she with they, but "one" is explicitly singular.
One needs to look up words he doesn't understand. Or One needs to look up words one doesn't understa
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[nq:1]I believe examples can be devised to show each of them in both first- and second-person senses.[/nq]
Hmm. Yes, well there is that rather wonderfully silly joke about Prince Charles' question to Princess Diana on their wedding night: "Would one like one to give one one?"
RobertE
Hmm. Yes, well there is that rather wonderfully silly joke about Prince Charles' question to Princess Diana on their wedding night: "Would one like one to give one one?"
RobertE
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[nq:2]I believe examples can be devised to show each of them in both first- and second-person senses.[/nq]
[nq:1]Hmm. Yes, well there is that rather wonderfully silly joke about Prince Charles' question to Princess Diana on their wedding night: "Would one like one to give one one?"[/nq]
Did he give at the *******?
[nq:1]Hmm. Yes, well there is that rather wonderfully silly joke about Prince Charles' question to Princess Diana on their wedding night: "Would one like one to give one one?"[/nq]
Did he give at the *******?
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The cool thing about the possessive pronoun "one's" is that it shows that people who sneer "Possessive pronouns can't have an apostrophe in them" are full of ***.
\\P. Schultz
\\P. Schultz
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[nq:1]The cool thing about the possessive pronoun "one's" is that it shows that people who sneer "Possessive pronouns can't have an apostrophe in them" are full of ***.[/nq]
That is someone else's error. But do you have a citation for such an opinion in anybody's writings?
That is someone else's error. But do you have a citation for such an opinion in anybody's writings?
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[nq:2]The cool thing about the possessive pronoun "one's" is that ... can't have an apostrophe in them" are full of ***.[/nq]
[nq:1]That is someone else's error. But do you have a citation for such an opinion in anybody's writings?[/nq]
"Anybody's writings"? Haw haw! You're kidding, right?
In the Google window, enter ("possessive pronouns" apostrophe) and then hit Enter. I got bac
[nq:1]That is someone else's error. But do you have a citation for such an opinion in anybody's writings?[/nq]
"Anybody's writings"? Haw haw! You're kidding, right?
In the Google window, enter ("possessive pronouns" apostrophe) and then hit Enter. I got bac
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