It / they (them) vs one/ ones Do you like pizza? Yes, I like it. Do you like onions? Yes, I like them. In the answers, the words “it” and “them” don't refer to a specific item, I think. Can the

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Maki

It / they (them) vs one/ ones Do you like pizza? Yes, I like it. Do you like onions? Yes, I like them. In the answers, the words “it” and “them” don't refer to a specific item, I think. Can the words “it” and “them” be replaced by “one” and “ones” when they refer to unspecific items?; Are “Yes, I like one. Yes I like ones. “ grammatically correct? I'd like to know when you use the word “one”. Thank you! Maki

Mar 15, 2024 6:04 AM

Answers · 9

When "pizza" and "onions" are used with no determiner ("the", "a", "my", "this", "that", etc.) they refer to the class of all pizzas and onions, not to particular one(s). You cannot replace them with "one(s)" unless you refer to specific pizza(s) or onion(s): "Q: Would you like a pizza? A: Yes I would like one." "Q: Do you like those onions? A: Yes I like those (or them)." "Q: Are those the onions you like? A: Yes, those are the ones."

March 15, 2024