One and ones: the blue one

One and ones

When a countable noun has just been said, one (or ones for more than one) stands in for it:

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1. 1the big one
2. 2the small one
3. 3a hot one
4. 4a cold one
5. 5the new one
6. 6the old one
7. 7the full one
8. 8the empty one

Which apple? The big one or the small one. Which drink? A hot one or a cold one. Which shoe? The new one or the old one. Which glass? The full one or the empty one.

• Which cup do you want? - The blue one.
• These shoes are old. I need some new ones.

Three rules:

Wine is uncountable, so to white one is wrong. (Pointing at two bottles, the white one is fine: a bottle is countable.) After these and those, many people just say these; these ones is common in British speech, but some people do not like it.

Do so, and missing first words

In formal writing, do so stands in for an action just named: I asked him to move the car, and he did so at once. In speech, people say he did.

Speech also drops the first words of a sentence:

These are normal spoken English. You do not need to say them yet, but do not hear them as broken sentences.

Common mistakes