student asking question

Could you tell me the role of "one" here?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

The word "one" in this case refers to "someone" or "a person". So when he says that "one cries because one is sad", he means that a person cries when they are sad. The word "one" is often used in this way when you are talking about what people will do in general. This is usually a little bit more formal than saying "someone". Ex: One can be successful through hard work and dedication. Ex: If one wants to follow their dreams, they should do it.

Popular Q&As

04/18

Complete the expression with a quiz!