Anonymous  +  682330 Tue, 03 Mar 09 12:38 PM Hi, Do you have any children? 1.Yes, I have only a child. 2.Yes, I only have a child. What is the difference between answer #1 and #2  with 'have only' and 'only have'? Thank you. Anonymous Difference Between

	Clive  +  682387 Tue, 03 Mar 09 03:19 PM Hi, Do you have any children? 1.Yes, I have only a child. 2.Yes, I only have a child. What is the difference between answer #1 and #2  with 'have only' and 'only have'? Neither of these is natural to say. A native speaker would usually answer 'Yes' or 'Yes, one' or 'Yes, I have one'. You may be thinking of the idiom 'an only child', meaning a child with no brothers or sisters. This term is normally used by the child himself (I'm an only child') or occasionally about another person ('Mary has an only child'). People do not usually say about themselves 'I have an only child'. Best wishes, Clive Clive Joined on Thu, Oct 28 2004 Canada Veteran Member 29,663 El tango argentino es un pensamiento triste que se puede bailar (The tango argentino is a sad thought which can be danced) Enrique Santos Discépolo Difference Between, Idioms

	Grammar Geek  +  682470 Tue, 03 Mar 09 06:34 PM With #1, but the "only" as close as possible to what you are describing. "I only ate an apple" could mean (if you use your imagination) that all you did the apple was eat it - you didn't pick it, clean it, slice it, etc. (Most people would assume you meant you had only one apple.) "I only ate an apple" means the only thing I have eaten is one apple - your intended meaning. #2 - use "one" instead of "a." You are counting how many people are there. There is only one person in the rom.   Grammar Geek Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006 Veteran Member 19,683 Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random!

	CalifJim  +  682472 Tue, 03 Mar 09 07:06 PM Anonymous “Did you eat anyting today? Yes. I only ate an apple. Yes. I ate only an apple. Is 'only' fine to be used here? Is it all right to use only here?” Yes.  Either way is fine.  It is completely idiomatic to let the word only "float to the left", especially in such short sentences. Anonymous “Are there any people in the room? Yes. There is only a person in the room. Can I use 'only' here?” Yes, you can, but you need to change a to one: There is only one person in the room. _______ Use only one to count how many, contrasting with other amounts. Use only a when you are contrasting the following noun with something else: There is only one spoon here.  (not two or three) There is only a spoon here.  (not a fork or knife) So when you say a person in your sentence, you imply something like this: There's only a person in the room.  (not an elephant or an alligator)  CJ CalifJim Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004 California Veteran Member 22,454 "There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche Nouns, Sentences

	CalifJim  +  682546 Tue, 03 Mar 09 10:02 PM Anonymous “CJ, do you mean  'only ate' and 'ate only' mean the same here? ” Yes. Anonymous “Do you mean it's idiomatic to say 'only ate' rather than 'ate only' here?” Yes, in my opinion. I only have three pencils left. The kite was only broken in two places. Lucy only wants one lump of sugar in her tea. Henry only ate one piece of toast for breakfast today. Susie only found five eggs in the Easter Day Egg Hunt. ______ Anonymous “Should I use 'one' in the sentence below? ” I would not.  The main point is that you have a good idea, not how many you have. Yes, I have a good idea. But if you wanted to stress how many, that is, that you only had one idea: Yes, but I only have one (idea). CJ CalifJim Sentences, Holidays, Easter

	CalifJim  +  683081 Wed, 04 Mar 09 10:25 PM 1.Do you have any ideas/cars? Yes, I have an idea/a car. Should I use 'a/an' rather than 'one' here?  Yes. 2.Do you have any children? Yes, I have a child. Is 'a' correct here and does it sound natural?  Yes. 3.How long have you lived here? I have lived here for a year. I have lived here for one year. Should I use 'a' or 'one' here?   Either is fine. 4.I have lived here for less than a year. I have lived here for less than one year. What is the difference between the two above if they are both correct?  Either is fine. a is more common.  one is more insistent and exact. 5.Are there any toys in the box? Yes, there is a toy in the box. Should I use 'a' in a sentence like that without adding 'only'?  Yes.  Don't add only. CJ CalifJim Difference Between, Sentences