(~s)
Frequency: The word is ~ of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
One is the number 1.
They had three sons and ~ daughter.
...~ thousand years ago...
Scotland beat England ~-nil at Wembley.
...~ of the children killed in the crash.
NUM
2.
If you say that some~ or something is the ~ person or thing of a particular kind, you are emphasizing that they are the only person or thing of that kind.
They had alienated the ~ man who knew the business...
His ~ regret is that he has never learned a language.
= only
ADJ: det ADJ emphasis
3.
One can be used instead of ‘a’ to emphasize the following noun.
There is ~ thing I would like to know–What is it about Tim that you find so irresistible?...
One person I hate is Russ.
DET: DET sing-n emphasis
4.
You can use ~ instead of ‘a’ to emphasize the following adjective or expression. (INFORMAL)
If we ever get married we’ll have ~ terrific wedding...
It’s like ~ enormous street carnival here.
DET: DET adj sing-n emphasis
5.
You can use ~ to refer to the first of two or more things that you are comparing.
Prices vary from ~ shop to another...
The road hugs the coast for hundreds of miles, the South China Sea on ~ side, jungle on the other.
DET: DET sing-n
•
One is also an adjective.
We ask why peace should have an apparent chance in the ~ territory and not the other.
ADJ: det ADJ
•
One is also a pronoun.
The twins were dressed differently and ~ was thinner than the other.
PRON
6.
You can use ~ or ~s instead of a noun when it is clear what type of thing or person you are referring to and you are describing them or giving more information about them.
They are selling their house to move to a smaller ~...
We test each ~ to see that it flies well.
PRON
7.
You use ~s to refer to people in general.
We are the only ~s who know.
PRON
8.
You can use ~ instead of a noun group when you have just menti~d something and you want to describe it or give more information about it.
His response is ~ of anger and frustration...
The issue of land reform was ~ that dominated Hungary’s parliamentary elections.
PRON: PRON of n, PRON that
9.
You can use ~ when you have been talking or writing about a group of people or things and you want to say something about a particular member of the group.
‘A college degree isn’t enough’, said ~ honors student.
DET: DET sing-n
•
One is also a pronoun.
Some of them couldn’t eat a thing. One couldn’t even drink.
PRON
10.
You use ~ in expressions such as ‘~ of the biggest airports’ or ‘~ of the most experienced players’ to indicate that something or some~ is bigger or more experienced than most other things or people of the same kind.
Subaru is ~ of the smallest Japanese car makers.
QUANT: QUANT of adj-superl
11.
You can use ~ when referring to a time in the past or in the future. For example, if you say that you did something ~ day, you mean that you did it on a day in the past.
How would you like to have dinner ~ night, just you and me?...
Then ~ evening Harry ph~d, asking me to come to their flat as soon as possible.
~ day: see day
DET: DET sing-n
12.
You use ~ to make statements about people in general which also apply to themselves. One can be used as the subject or object of a sentence. (FORMAL)
If ~ looks at the longer run, a lot of positive things are happening...
Shares and bonds can bring ~ quite a considerable additional income.
PRON
13.
If you say that some~ is ~ for or is a ~ for something, you mean that they like or approve of it or enjoy doing it.
I’m not ~ for political discussions...
She was a real ~ for flirting with the boys.
PHRASE: oft with brd-neg, v-link PHR n/-ing
14.
You can use for ~ to emphasize that a particular person is definitely reacting or behaving in a particular way, even if other people are not.
I, for ~, hope you don’t get the job.
PHRASE: PHR before v emphasis
15.
You can use expressions such as a hundred and ~, a thousand and ~, and a million and ~ to emphasize that you are talking about a large number of things or people.
There are a hundred and ~ ways in which you can raise m~y.
PHRASE: usu PHR pl-n emphasis
16.
You can use in ~ to indicate that something is a single unit, but is made up of several different parts or has several different functions.
...a love story and an adventure all in ~...
This cream moisturises and repairs in ~.
PHRASE: pl-n PHR, PHR after v
17.
You use ~ after the other or ~ after another to say that actions or events happen with very little time between them.
My three guitars broke ~ after the other...
One after another, people described how hard it is for them to get medical care.
PHRASE: PHR with cl
18.
The ~ and only can be used in front of the name of an actor, singer, or other famous person when they are being introduced on a show.
...~ of the greatest ever rock performers, the ~ and only Tina Turner.
PHRASE: PHR n-proper
19.
You can use ~ by ~ to indicate that people do things or that things happen in sequence, not all at the same time.
We went into the room ~ by ~...
One by ~ the houses burst into flames.
PHRASE: PHR with cl
20.
You use ~ or other to refer to ~ or more things or people in a group, when it does not matter which particular ~ or ~s are thought of or chosen.
One or other of the two women was wrong.
PHRASE: usu PHR of pl-n
21.
One or two means a few.
We may make ~ or two changes...
I asked ~ or two of the stallholders about it.
PHRASE: oft PHR pl-n, PHR of pl-n
22.
If you say that some~ is not ~ to do something, you think that it is very unlikely that they would do it because it is not their normal behaviour.
I’m not ~ to waste time on just any~.
PHRASE: PHR to-inf, usu v-link PHR
23.
If you try to get ~ up on some~, you try to gain an advantage over them.
...the competitive kind who will see this as the opportunity to be ~ up on you.
PHRASE: PHR n, usu v-link PHR, PHR after v
24.
~ another: see another
~ thing after another: see another
of ~ mind: see mind
in ~ piece: see piece