Only

Question

Hi,Do you have any children?1.Yes, I have only a child.2.Yes, I only have a child.What is the difference between answer #1 and #2  with 'have only' and 'only have'?Thank you.

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

Do you have any children?
1.Yes, I have only a child.
2.Yes, I only have a child.

What is the difference between answer #1 and #2 with 'have only' and 'only have'?

Neither of these is natural to say. A native speaker would usually answer
'Yes' or 'Yes, one' or 'Yes, I have one'.

You may be thinking of the idiom 'an only child', meaning a child with no brothers or sisters.
This term is normally used by the child himself (I'm an only child') or occasionally about another person ('Mary has an only child'). People do not usually say about themselves 'I have an only child'.

Best wishes, Clive

Anonymous · Answer

Hi Clive,

Thanks for your answer very much. I wonder if 'only' can be used in other cases like that. Here are my questions below:
1.
Did you eat anyting today?
Yes. I only ate an apple.
Yes. I ate only an apple.
Is 'only' fine to be used here?

2.
Are there any people in the room?
Yes. There is only a person in the room.
Can I use 'only' here?

Thank you.

BarbaraPA · Answer

With #1, but the "only" as close as possible to what you are describing.

"I only ate an apple" could mean (if you use your imagination) that all you did the apple was eat it - you didn't pick it, clean it, slice it, etc. (Most people would assume you meant you had only one apple.)

"I only ate an apple" means the only thing I have eaten is one apple - your intended meaning.

#2 - use "one" instead of "a." You are counting how many people are there.

There is only one person in the rom.

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousDid you eat anyting today?
Yes. I only ate an apple.
Yes. I ate only an apple.
~~Is 'only' fine to be used here?~~ Is it all right to use only here?

Yes. Either way is fine. It is completely idiomatic to let the word only "float to the left", especially in such short sentences.

AnonymousAre there any people in the room?
Yes. There is only a person in the room.
Can I use 'only' here?

Yes, you can, but you need to change a to one:

There is only one person in the room.
_____

Use only one to count how many, contrasting with other amounts.
Use only a when you are contrasting the following noun with something else:

There is only one spoon here. (not two or three)
There is only a spoon here. (not a fork or knife)

So when you say a person in your sentence, you imply something like this:

There's only a person in the room.(not an elephant or an alligator)

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

CalifJimDid you eat anyting today?
Yes. I only ate an apple.
Yes. I ate only an apple.
~~Is 'only' fine to be used here?~~ Is it all right to use only here?Yes. Either way is fine. It is completely idiomatic to let the word only "float to the left", especially in such short sentences.

Hi GG and CJ,

Thanks very much for your replies and corrections.

CJ, do you mean 'only ate' and 'ate only' mean the same here?

Do you mean it's idiomatic to say 'only ate' rather than 'ate only' here?

Sould I use 'one' in the sentence below?

"Do you have any ideas? Yes, I have one good idea."

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousCJ, do you mean 'only ate' and 'ate only' mean the same here?

Yes.

AnonymousDo you mean it's idiomatic to say 'only ate' rather than 'ate only' here?

Yes, in my opinion.

I only have three pencils left.
The kite was only broken in two places.
Lucy only wants one lump of sugar in her tea.
Henry only ate one piece of toast for breakfast today.
Susie only found five eggs in the Easter Day Egg Hunt.
____

AnonymousShould I use 'one' in the sentence below?

I would not. The main point is that you have a good idea, not how many you have.

Yes, I have a good idea.

But if you wanted to stress how many, that is, that you only had one idea:

Yes, but I only have one.

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

Hi CJ,
Thanks very much for your answer. Could you please answer these questions below?

1.Do you have any ideas/cars?
Yes, I have an idea/a car.

Should I use 'a/an' rather than 'one' here?

2.Do you have any children?
Yes, I have a child.

Is 'a' correct here and does it sound natural?

3.How long have you lived here?
I have lived here for a year.
I have lived here for one year.

Should I use 'a' or 'one' here?

4.I have lived here for less than a year.
I have lived here for less than one year.

What is the difference between the two above if they are both correct?

5.Are there any toys in the box?
Yes, there is a toy in the box.

Sould I use 'a' in a sentence like that without adding 'only'?

Thank you.

CalifJim · Answer

1.Do you have any ideas/cars?
Yes, I have an idea/a car.
Should I use 'a/an' rather than 'one' here? Yes.
2.Do you have any children?
Yes, I have a child.
Is 'a' correct here and does it sound natural? Yes.
3.How long have you lived here?
I have lived here for a year.
I have lived here for one year.
Should I use 'a' or 'one' here? Either is fine.
4.I have lived here for less than a year.
I have lived here for less than one year.
What is the difference between the two above if they are both correct? Either is fine. a is more common. one is more insistent and exact.
5.Are there any toys in the box?
Yes, there is a toy in the box. Should I use 'a' in a sentence like that without adding 'only'? Yes. Don't add only.

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

CalifJim Either is fine. a is more common. one is more insistent and exact.

Hi CJ,

Thank you very much for your reply and correction again.

Could you explain what you meant by 'one is more insistent'?

How long have you lived here?

1.I have lived here for only a year.

2.I have lived here for only one year.

Is there any difference in meaning between #1 and #2

Ho long have you lived here?

1. I have lived here for more than a year.

2. I have lived here for more than one year.

Is there any difference between the two?

Thank you.

Only

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