TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:"One" as a grammatical construct From:DIANA PATTERSON <DPATTERSON -at- MTROYAL -dot- AB -dot- CA> Date:Sun, 12 Feb 1995 19:22:46 -0600
Sandra Charker asked if "One" is used for the vague "you" or for "they." No,
it usually is not. And, alas, it cannot easily be used for He, She, or It (I
hate your slashers). "One" has been used for time out of mind by the English
to mean "me". And there is often a suggestion of personal revelation in the
use of "one". That personal is what keeps people from feeling comfortable
with it. And, as I point out to my students (grammarless, idealess, and
pointless non-writers as I get them from high school), it is not a good idea
to mix "one" with "she" or "he" or "they". One knows better than to do that
;-).
Diana Patterson
DPatterson -at- MtRoyal -dot- AB -dot- CA
