One, Ones, and Do So

What you’ll learn

Replace recoverable nouns and actions precisely.

ជំនួសនាម និងសកម្មភាពដោយ one/ones និង do so។

Meaning and use

One and ones can replace countable nouns, usually when a modifier or context identifies the choice. They do not normally replace uncountable substances. Do so can substitute for an action in suitable contexts, especially writing; it does not freely replace every state verb or every auxiliary pattern.

One/ones ជំនួសនាមរាប់បាន ដើម្បីកុំឱ្យស្ទួន។ មិនប្រើសម្រាប់វត្ថុមិនរាប់បានជាទូទៅទេ។ Do so ជំនួសសកម្មភាពដែលបាននិយាយមុន។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Countable noun substitution	the red one / the larger ones
Action substitution	She checked the figures and asked me to do so too.

Examples

1. I prefer the blue one.

   ខ្ញុំចូលចិត្តមួយពណ៌ខៀវជាង។

2. These chairs are old; we need new ones.

   កៅអីទាំងនេះចាស់ហើយ យើងត្រូវការកៅអីថ្មី។

3. He agreed to review it and did so that evening.

   គាត់យល់ព្រមពិនិត្យវា ហើយបានធ្វើនៅល្ងាចនោះ។

4. I need some fresh water, not the water in that jug.

   ខ្ញុំត្រូវការទឹកស្រស់ មិនមែនទឹកក្នុងក្អមនោះទេ។

Everyday conversation

Dara: Which notebook would you like?

Maly: The smaller one, please. Do you have any plain ones?

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
I need clean water. Give me a fresh one. (water meaning)	I need clean water. Give me some fresh water.	One does not replace uncountable water in this use.
These bags are heavy; those one are lighter.	These bags are heavy; those ones are lighter.	A plural noun substitute uses ones.

Practice

Try these questions before opening the answers. Write or say each answer.

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Replace repeated chair: I want the wooden chair, not the plastic chair.
2. Replace the repeated action: She promised to reply and replied promptly.
3. Can one normally substitute for advice in some useful advice?

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. I want the wooden one, not the plastic one.

   One substitutes for the count noun chair.

2. She promised to reply and did so promptly.

   Do so refers to replying.

3. No.

   Advice is uncountable; use some useful advice or a useful piece of advice.

Quick recap

• Countable noun substitution: the red one / the larger ones
• Action substitution: She checked the figures and asked me to do so too.