“On one hand” vs “on the one hand.”
I'm confused because I've seen both mentioned in dictionaries.
Example sentence (context: writing a story):
On (the) one hand, I want to wrap up everything perfectly. On the other hand, I want to leave some ambiguity to the reader.
What's the correct/conventional choice? Maybe this is an American/British English issue?
idioms
asked 8 hours ago
alexchencoalexchenco
2,44993365
add a comment |
I'm confused because I've seen both mentioned in dictionaries.
Example sentence (context: writing a story):
On (the) one hand, I want to wrap up everything perfectly. On the other hand, I want to leave some ambiguity to the reader.
What's the correct/conventional choice? Maybe this is an American/British English issue?
idioms
asked 8 hours ago
alexchencoalexchenco
2,44993365
The sentance is correct I'm not sure what are you asking for here.
– Ced
8 hours ago
On the one hand, on the other [hand], no doubt about that anyway.
– Lambie
5 hours ago
add a comment |
I'm confused because I've seen both mentioned in dictionaries.
Example sentence (context: writing a story):
On (the) one hand, I want to wrap up everything perfectly. On the other hand, I want to leave some ambiguity to the reader.
What's the correct/conventional choice? Maybe this is an American/British English issue?
idioms
asked 8 hours ago
alexchencoalexchenco
2,44993365
I'm confused because I've seen both mentioned in dictionaries.
Example sentence (context: writing a story):
On (the) one hand, I want to wrap up everything perfectly. On the other hand, I want to leave some ambiguity to the reader.
What's the correct/conventional choice? Maybe this is an American/British English issue?
idioms
idioms
asked 8 hours ago
alexchencoalexchenco
2,44993365
asked 8 hours ago
alexchencoalexchenco
2,44993365
asked 8 hours ago
alexchencoalexchenco
2,44993365
asked 8 hours ago
alexchencoalexchenco
2,44993365
asked 8 hours ago
alexchencoalexchenco
2,44993365
2,44993365
The sentance is correct I'm not sure what are you asking for here.
– Ced
8 hours ago
On the one hand, on the other [hand], no doubt about that anyway.
– Lambie
5 hours ago
add a comment |
The sentance is correct I'm not sure what are you asking for here.
– Ced
8 hours ago
On the one hand, on the other [hand], no doubt about that anyway.
– Lambie
5 hours ago
The sentance is correct I'm not sure what are you asking for here.
– Ced
8 hours ago
The sentance is correct I'm not sure what are you asking for here.
– Ced
8 hours ago
On the one hand, on the other [hand], no doubt about that anyway.
– Lambie
5 hours ago
On the one hand, on the other [hand], no doubt about that anyway.
– Lambie
5 hours ago
add a comment |
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
Either is fine.
I'm not aware of any regional differences in usage.
answered 8 hours ago
fred2fred2
1,984614
add a comment |
In most contexts, when contrasting "one" with "the other", the article is not used before "one".
I would class On the one hand and on the one side as idioms.
In the NoW Corpus "On the one hand" has 28822 hits, and "On the one side" 1657, against 2504 examples of "On the one [any other noun]" - (349 of these are "on the one show", and nearly all of these are "On The One Show", so they don't count).
"On one hand", without "the" has 18297 hits - only about 2/3 as many.
answered 7 hours ago
Colin FineColin Fine
30.5k24258
books.google.com/ngrams/… paints a different picture, I'd say. A cursory glance at the first page of the results for the latter query in the NoW corpus reveals at least 25 out of 100 non-anglophone sources (India, Pakistan, African countries); having said that, there are regardless an appreciable number of anglophone writers using the phrase. For comparison, there's around a thousand hits in NoW for on other hand, almost without exception produced by non-native speakers/writers of English.
– userr2684291
1 hour ago
@userr2684291 Anglophone takes a cap, I prefer English-speaking.
– Lambie
2 mins ago
add a comment |
"On the one hand" is clearly a figure of speech.
On the other hand, "on one hand" can be a literal reference to a person's hand.
As a native British English speaker, I would always use "on the one hand … on the other hand" in the OP's context. There is no logic in omitting the first "the" and including the second, but nobody ever says "on other hand" in this idiom (or anywhere else), so use "the" twice.
answered 5 hours ago
alephzeroalephzero
2,314414
On the other hand, that's literally how you'd say it outside of the context of idioms (quite literally: you have one hand, and then you have the other hand) and as a native British English speaker that's how I say the idiom as well.
– Lightness Races in Orbit
33 mins ago
@LightnessRacesinOrbit I guess native speakers of British English don't require citations?? Of course, a the is needed. In any English, when using the idiom: on the one hand|||on the other [hand].
– Lambie
3 mins ago
add a comment |
The idiom in English, regardless of variety, is:
On the one hand ||| on the other [hand].
The second hand is optional and this has nothing whatsoever to do with British versus American English at all.
All the dictionaries agree.
Collins Dictionary
Cambridge Dictionary
Merriam Webster
answered 5 hours ago
LambieLambie
15.7k1432
[citation needed]
– Lightness Races in Orbit
32 mins ago
@LightnessRacesinOrbit Others don't need citations???
– Lambie
14 mins ago
add a comment |
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4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
Either is fine.
I'm not aware of any regional differences in usage.
answered 8 hours ago
fred2fred2
1,984614
add a comment |
Either is fine.
I'm not aware of any regional differences in usage.
answered 8 hours ago
fred2fred2
1,984614
add a comment |
Either is fine.
I'm not aware of any regional differences in usage.
answered 8 hours ago
fred2fred2
1,984614
Either is fine.
I'm not aware of any regional differences in usage.
answered 8 hours ago
fred2fred2
1,984614
answered 8 hours ago
fred2fred2
1,984614
answered 8 hours ago
fred2fred2
1,984614
answered 8 hours ago
fred2fred2
1,984614
1,984614
add a comment |
add a comment |
In most contexts, when contrasting "one" with "the other", the article is not used before "one".
I would class On the one hand and on the one side as idioms.
In the NoW Corpus "On the one hand" has 28822 hits, and "On the one side" 1657, against 2504 examples of "On the one [any other noun]" - (349 of these are "on the one show", and nearly all of these are "On The One Show", so they don't count).
"On one hand", without "the" has 18297 hits - only about 2/3 as many.
answered 7 hours ago
Colin FineColin Fine
30.5k24258
books.google.com/ngrams/… paints a different picture, I'd say. A cursory glance at the first page of the results for the latter query in the NoW corpus reveals at least 25 out of 100 non-anglophone sources (India, Pakistan, African countries); having said that, there are regardless an appreciable number of anglophone writers using the phrase. For comparison, there's around a thousand hits in NoW for on other hand, almost without exception produced by non-native speakers/writers of English.
– userr2684291
1 hour ago
@userr2684291 Anglophone takes a cap, I prefer English-speaking.
– Lambie
2 mins ago
add a comment |
In most contexts, when contrasting "one" with "the other", the article is not used before "one".
I would class On the one hand and on the one side as idioms.
In the NoW Corpus "On the one hand" has 28822 hits, and "On the one side" 1657, against 2504 examples of "On the one [any other noun]" - (349 of these are "on the one show", and nearly all of these are "On The One Show", so they don't count).
"On one hand", without "the" has 18297 hits - only about 2/3 as many.
answered 7 hours ago
Colin FineColin Fine
30.5k24258
books.google.com/ngrams/… paints a different picture, I'd say. A cursory glance at the first page of the results for the latter query in the NoW corpus reveals at least 25 out of 100 non-anglophone sources (India, Pakistan, African countries); having said that, there are regardless an appreciable number of anglophone writers using the phrase. For comparison, there's around a thousand hits in NoW for on other hand, almost without exception produced by non-native speakers/writers of English.
– userr2684291
1 hour ago
@userr2684291 Anglophone takes a cap, I prefer English-speaking.
– Lambie
2 mins ago
add a comment |
In most contexts, when contrasting "one" with "the other", the article is not used before "one".
I would class On the one hand and on the one side as idioms.
In the NoW Corpus "On the one hand" has 28822 hits, and "On the one side" 1657, against 2504 examples of "On the one [any other noun]" - (349 of these are "on the one show", and nearly all of these are "On The One Show", so they don't count).
"On one hand", without "the" has 18297 hits - only about 2/3 as many.
answered 7 hours ago
Colin FineColin Fine
30.5k24258
In most contexts, when contrasting "one" with "the other", the article is not used before "one".
I would class On the one hand and on the one side as idioms.
In the NoW Corpus "On the one hand" has 28822 hits, and "On the one side" 1657, against 2504 examples of "On the one [any other noun]" - (349 of these are "on the one show", and nearly all of these are "On The One Show", so they don't count).
"On one hand", without "the" has 18297 hits - only about 2/3 as many.
answered 7 hours ago
Colin FineColin Fine
30.5k24258
answered 7 hours ago
Colin FineColin Fine
30.5k24258
answered 7 hours ago
Colin FineColin Fine
30.5k24258
answered 7 hours ago
Colin FineColin Fine
30.5k24258
30.5k24258
books.google.com/ngrams/… paints a different picture, I'd say. A cursory glance at the first page of the results for the latter query in the NoW corpus reveals at least 25 out of 100 non-anglophone sources (India, Pakistan, African countries); having said that, there are regardless an appreciable number of anglophone writers using the phrase. For comparison, there's around a thousand hits in NoW for on other hand, almost without exception produced by non-native speakers/writers of English.
– userr2684291
1 hour ago
@userr2684291 Anglophone takes a cap, I prefer English-speaking.
– Lambie
2 mins ago
add a comment |
books.google.com/ngrams/… paints a different picture, I'd say. A cursory glance at the first page of the results for the latter query in the NoW corpus reveals at least 25 out of 100 non-anglophone sources (India, Pakistan, African countries); having said that, there are regardless an appreciable number of anglophone writers using the phrase. For comparison, there's around a thousand hits in NoW for on other hand, almost without exception produced by non-native speakers/writers of English.
– userr2684291
1 hour ago
@userr2684291 Anglophone takes a cap, I prefer English-speaking.
– Lambie
2 mins ago
books.google.com/ngrams/… paints a different picture, I'd say. A cursory glance at the first page of the results for the latter query in the NoW corpus reveals at least 25 out of 100 non-anglophone sources (India, Pakistan, African countries); having said that, there are regardless an appreciable number of anglophone writers using the phrase. For comparison, there's around a thousand hits in NoW for on other hand, almost without exception produced by non-native speakers/writers of English.
– userr2684291
1 hour ago
books.google.com/ngrams/… paints a different picture, I'd say. A cursory glance at the first page of the results for the latter query in the NoW corpus reveals at least 25 out of 100 non-anglophone sources (India, Pakistan, African countries); having said that, there are regardless an appreciable number of anglophone writers using the phrase. For comparison, there's around a thousand hits in NoW for on other hand, almost without exception produced by non-native speakers/writers of English.
– userr2684291
1 hour ago
@userr2684291 Anglophone takes a cap, I prefer English-speaking.
– Lambie
2 mins ago
@userr2684291 Anglophone takes a cap, I prefer English-speaking.
– Lambie
2 mins ago
add a comment |
"On the one hand" is clearly a figure of speech.
On the other hand, "on one hand" can be a literal reference to a person's hand.
As a native British English speaker, I would always use "on the one hand … on the other hand" in the OP's context. There is no logic in omitting the first "the" and including the second, but nobody ever says "on other hand" in this idiom (or anywhere else), so use "the" twice.
answered 5 hours ago
alephzeroalephzero
2,314414
On the other hand, that's literally how you'd say it outside of the context of idioms (quite literally: you have one hand, and then you have the other hand) and as a native British English speaker that's how I say the idiom as well.
– Lightness Races in Orbit
33 mins ago
@LightnessRacesinOrbit I guess native speakers of British English don't require citations?? Of course, a the is needed. In any English, when using the idiom: on the one hand|||on the other [hand].
– Lambie
3 mins ago
add a comment |
"On the one hand" is clearly a figure of speech.
On the other hand, "on one hand" can be a literal reference to a person's hand.
As a native British English speaker, I would always use "on the one hand … on the other hand" in the OP's context. There is no logic in omitting the first "the" and including the second, but nobody ever says "on other hand" in this idiom (or anywhere else), so use "the" twice.
answered 5 hours ago
alephzeroalephzero
2,314414
On the other hand, that's literally how you'd say it outside of the context of idioms (quite literally: you have one hand, and then you have the other hand) and as a native British English speaker that's how I say the idiom as well.
– Lightness Races in Orbit
33 mins ago
@LightnessRacesinOrbit I guess native speakers of British English don't require citations?? Of course, a the is needed. In any English, when using the idiom: on the one hand|||on the other [hand].
– Lambie
3 mins ago
add a comment |
"On the one hand" is clearly a figure of speech.
On the other hand, "on one hand" can be a literal reference to a person's hand.
As a native British English speaker, I would always use "on the one hand … on the other hand" in the OP's context. There is no logic in omitting the first "the" and including the second, but nobody ever says "on other hand" in this idiom (or anywhere else), so use "the" twice.
answered 5 hours ago
alephzeroalephzero
2,314414
"On the one hand" is clearly a figure of speech.
On the other hand, "on one hand" can be a literal reference to a person's hand.
As a native British English speaker, I would always use "on the one hand … on the other hand" in the OP's context. There is no logic in omitting the first "the" and including the second, but nobody ever says "on other hand" in this idiom (or anywhere else), so use "the" twice.
answered 5 hours ago
alephzeroalephzero
2,314414
answered 5 hours ago
alephzeroalephzero
2,314414
answered 5 hours ago
alephzeroalephzero
2,314414
answered 5 hours ago
alephzeroalephzero
2,314414
2,314414
On the other hand, that's literally how you'd say it outside of the context of idioms (quite literally: you have one hand, and then you have the other hand) and as a native British English speaker that's how I say the idiom as well.
– Lightness Races in Orbit
33 mins ago
@LightnessRacesinOrbit I guess native speakers of British English don't require citations?? Of course, a the is needed. In any English, when using the idiom: on the one hand|||on the other [hand].
– Lambie
3 mins ago
add a comment |
On the other hand, that's literally how you'd say it outside of the context of idioms (quite literally: you have one hand, and then you have the other hand) and as a native British English speaker that's how I say the idiom as well.
– Lightness Races in Orbit
33 mins ago
@LightnessRacesinOrbit I guess native speakers of British English don't require citations?? Of course, a the is needed. In any English, when using the idiom: on the one hand|||on the other [hand].
– Lambie
3 mins ago
On the other hand, that's literally how you'd say it outside of the context of idioms (quite literally: you have one hand, and then you have the other hand) and as a native British English speaker that's how I say the idiom as well.
– Lightness Races in Orbit
33 mins ago
On the other hand, that's literally how you'd say it outside of the context of idioms (quite literally: you have one hand, and then you have the other hand) and as a native British English speaker that's how I say the idiom as well.
– Lightness Races in Orbit
33 mins ago
@LightnessRacesinOrbit I guess native speakers of British English don't require citations?? Of course, a the is needed. In any English, when using the idiom: on the one hand|||on the other [hand].
– Lambie
3 mins ago
@LightnessRacesinOrbit I guess native speakers of British English don't require citations?? Of course, a the is needed. In any English, when using the idiom: on the one hand|||on the other [hand].
– Lambie
3 mins ago
add a comment |
The idiom in English, regardless of variety, is:
On the one hand ||| on the other [hand].
The second hand is optional and this has nothing whatsoever to do with British versus American English at all.
All the dictionaries agree.
Collins Dictionary
Cambridge Dictionary
Merriam Webster
answered 5 hours ago
LambieLambie
15.7k1432
[citation needed]
– Lightness Races in Orbit
32 mins ago
@LightnessRacesinOrbit Others don't need citations???
– Lambie
14 mins ago
add a comment |
The idiom in English, regardless of variety, is:
On the one hand ||| on the other [hand].
The second hand is optional and this has nothing whatsoever to do with British versus American English at all.
All the dictionaries agree.
Collins Dictionary
Cambridge Dictionary
Merriam Webster
answered 5 hours ago
LambieLambie
15.7k1432
[citation needed]
– Lightness Races in Orbit
32 mins ago
@LightnessRacesinOrbit Others don't need citations???
– Lambie
14 mins ago
add a comment |
The idiom in English, regardless of variety, is:
On the one hand ||| on the other [hand].
The second hand is optional and this has nothing whatsoever to do with British versus American English at all.
All the dictionaries agree.
Collins Dictionary
Cambridge Dictionary
Merriam Webster
answered 5 hours ago
LambieLambie
15.7k1432
The idiom in English, regardless of variety, is:
On the one hand ||| on the other [hand].
The second hand is optional and this has nothing whatsoever to do with British versus American English at all.
All the dictionaries agree.
Collins Dictionary
Cambridge Dictionary
Merriam Webster
answered 5 hours ago
LambieLambie
15.7k1432
edited 14 mins ago
answered 5 hours ago
LambieLambie
15.7k1432
answered 5 hours ago
LambieLambie
15.7k1432
answered 5 hours ago
LambieLambie
15.7k1432
15.7k1432
[citation needed]
– Lightness Races in Orbit
32 mins ago
@LightnessRacesinOrbit Others don't need citations???
– Lambie
14 mins ago
add a comment |
[citation needed]
– Lightness Races in Orbit
32 mins ago
@LightnessRacesinOrbit Others don't need citations???
– Lambie
14 mins ago
[citation needed]
– Lightness Races in Orbit
32 mins ago
[citation needed]
– Lightness Races in Orbit
32 mins ago
@LightnessRacesinOrbit Others don't need citations???
– Lambie
14 mins ago
@LightnessRacesinOrbit Others don't need citations???
– Lambie
14 mins ago
add a comment |
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The sentance is correct I'm not sure what are you asking for here.
– Ced
8 hours ago
On the one hand, on the other [hand], no doubt about that anyway.
– Lambie
5 hours ago