|
|
 Wed Jun 04, 2008 6:02 am the phrase with "no one" |
|
|
| Thanks a lot, Prezbucky. I know the use of "one" or "not one" in that sentence is correct, I just wonder if it's really wrong to use "no one" in this case. So you also think "no one" is not natural? |
|
nessie
I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 16 Feb 2008
Posts: 957
|
|
| Wed Jun 04, 2008 7:05 am the phrase with "no one" |
|
|
Hi Nessie
'No one' is not only unnatural in your sentence, it is also grammatically incorrect. It is also not possible to use 'one' or 'not one' in your sentence because the verb is plural (were). Note Prezbucky's use of 'was' with 'not one'.
I agree with Prezbucky that you should use 'none' instead of 'no one' in your sentence.
.
_________________
Amy
.
ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English |
|
Yankee
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 16 Apr 2006
Posts: 7443
Location: Northeast US
|
 |
| Thu Jun 05, 2008 0:19 am the phrase with "no one" |
|
|
| Quote: | This is a mistake correcting question, and it is wrong in the phrase "no one", so "no one" just has the meaning of"nobody"? It never has the meaning of "not anything"? (I mean, "not any new home" in this very sentence)
|
I can't think of an example where "no one" has the meaning "not anything"; but perhaps another member can.
To return to the question of "no one" + noun:
1. I knocked, but no one was at home.
— here "no one" is a negative pronoun, and has the meaning "nobody".
2. No one person can answer every question here.
— in combination with a noun, "no" and "one" have a strongly emphatic sense: "no single person" in contrast with "more than one person". Thus the sense here is:
2a. No person on his own can answer every question here [but perhaps two or more people can].
3. Not one person can answer every question here.
— "not" and "one" here have a sense of "not even as few as one"; the position of "not" gives it a strongly emphatic sense, i.e.
3a. [I want to emphasise the fact that] not even as few as one person can answer every question.
Best wishes,
MrP |
|
MrPedantic
I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 894
Location: Southern England
|
|
|
nessie
I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 16 Feb 2008
Posts: 957
|
|
|
| certified retail sales expert as translation for 'Handelsfachwirt'? | "copy machine" vs "copying machine" |
