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Paco2004 Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

One vs it

0 Hello teachers 02br
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00I believe the both below are OK to you. But when do you use "one" and when "it"? 02br
00 [1] I want to get a computer, and I'll buy one tomorrow. 02br
00 [2] I want to get a computer, and I'll buy it tomorrow. 02br
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00paco 0-
  

Top answer

0 "one" is the pronoun corresponding to 01b 00non-specific02b 00 "a/an". 02br 00"it" is the pronoun corresponding to 01b 00specific02b 00 "a/an" (as well as to definite "the"). 02br 02br 00"I want to get a computer", standing on its own, is ambiguous as to specificness.

— CalifJim

  • 0 "one" is the pronoun corresponding to 01b 00non-specific02b 00 "a/an".
  • 02br 00"it" is the pronoun corresponding to 01b 00specific02b 00 "a/an" (as well as to definite "the").
  • 02br 02br 00"I want to get a computer", standing on its own, is ambiguous as to specificness.
  • "a computer" can be glossed either as "some computer or other, I have no particular computer in mind at this time" (non-specific) OR "a certain computer that I have in mind" (specific).
  • 02br 02br 00When the remainder of the sentence is uttered, the speaker must now commit himself to either "one" or "it", at which point he reveals whether he has or does not have a particular computer in mind.
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14 Answers
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0 "one" is the pronoun corresponding to 01b00non-specific02b00 "a/an". 02br
00"it" is the pronoun corresponding to 01b00specific02b00 "a/an" (as well as to definite "the"). 02br
02br
00"I want to get a computer", standing on its own, is ambiguous as to specificness. "a computer" can be glossed either as "some computer
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0 Hello CJ 02br
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00Thank you for the nice explanation. So you use "a/an" in two ways: "any/some" and "a certain". How about in the case of indefinite plurals? "I want to buy new magazines at the kiosk". Is it possible to take "magazines" in two ways: specific and non-specific? 02br
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00paco 0-
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0Exactly. 05002br
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00"I want to buy some" vs. "I want to buy them" are the pronomial forms for the non-specific and specific interpretations, respectively. 02br
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00CJ 010id1
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0 Hello CJ 02br
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00Thank you. 02br
00I think now I have come to understand the difference between specific and non-specific indefinites. 02br
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00paco 0-
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0 " is ambiguous as to specificness." 02br
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00the guy has grammatical errors in his original post. why are you using expressions like "ambiguous as to specificness" in your answer? you cannot answer questions about english in complicated english. 02br
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00furthermore, specificness isn't even a word. the correct word is 'specificity'. you cannot an
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0 01blockquote
00furthermore, specificness isn't even a word.12blockquote
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00"Specificness" is contained in The Oxford English Dictionary. 02br
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0101b00Specificness02b00 Specific character or quality. 02br
00 1682 H. More Annot. Glanvill's Lux O. 233 For a Spirit is nothi
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0 I find it a bit strange for the very first post of a new member of a forum to be a flame of a moderator, or of any member for that matter. It might be more understandable if the argument held water but in your case it doesn't. 02br
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00I suggest you consider learning English before having the gall to correct an English teacher. Or perhaps you are just really confident an
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0 I know Paco through many on-line conversations, so I know he is more than capable of comprehending a complex English sentence. The question is subtle and requires some subtlety to answer it. I'm sure, from my past experience with this student, that he understands at the level I have given the answer. But thank you for your concern in this matter. 02br
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00As for "spec
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0 Eric, 02br
00I think we may know Flyingpants under other names. I'm not persuaded it's his first visit to the Forums. Reincarnation? 02br
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05002br
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00Jim 010id1
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0 01blockquote
01cite10CalifJim12cite10Eric, 12br
10I think we may know Flyingpants under other names. I'm not persuaded it's his first visit to the Forums. Reincarnation? 12br
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15012br
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10Jim12blockquote
10Most probably! :-) 010id1
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