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'This one' as a pronoun

Using Pronoun 'It' repetitvely for emphasis?Habitual use of -ing follows -ed — is this wrong?How can I keep my writing from being perceived as “too complicated”How to deal with awkward pronoun repetition?What pronoun should a hermaphrodite species use?Using a possessive pronoun before using its antecedent in a poem

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4

I'm writing a story in English but I'm not a native. I’m a Brazilian Portuguese speaker.

It bothers me how repetitive and ambiguous pronouns can be. In my language we can use the equivalent to ‘this one’ instead of he/she/it etc. It’s less usual, but still sounds natural. But I don’t know how it sounds to a native English speaker. The only examples I found in English were archaic.

Example:

John saw Mario again after three years, and thought that he
(Mario, not John) lost a lot of weight.

Does it sound weird if I write instead:

John saw Mario again after three years, and thought that this one
lost a lot of weight.

I wonder that something like ‘the guy’ could be used instead of ‘Mario’, but it would not sound good if Mario is a well known character by the reader. Of course I can use Mario again, but it doesn't work well in the sentence that concerns me.

style grammar

share|improve this question

edited 7 hours ago

Cyn♦

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LouisrLouisr

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• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Welcome to Writing.SE Louisr, glad you found us. Please check out our tour and help center.
  
  – Cyn♦
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

4

I'm writing a story in English but I'm not a native. I’m a Brazilian Portuguese speaker.

It bothers me how repetitive and ambiguous pronouns can be. In my language we can use the equivalent to ‘this one’ instead of he/she/it etc. It’s less usual, but still sounds natural. But I don’t know how it sounds to a native English speaker. The only examples I found in English were archaic.

Example:

John saw Mario again after three years, and thought that he
(Mario, not John) lost a lot of weight.

Does it sound weird if I write instead:

John saw Mario again after three years, and thought that this one
lost a lot of weight.

I wonder that something like ‘the guy’ could be used instead of ‘Mario’, but it would not sound good if Mario is a well known character by the reader. Of course I can use Mario again, but it doesn't work well in the sentence that concerns me.

style grammar

share|improve this question

edited 7 hours ago

Cyn♦

29.7k33 gold badges6767 silver badges132132 bronze badges

asked 9 hours ago

LouisrLouisr

2111 bronze badge

New contributor

Louisr is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Welcome to Writing.SE Louisr, glad you found us. Please check out our tour and help center.
  
  – Cyn♦
  7 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

I'm writing a story in English but I'm not a native. I’m a Brazilian Portuguese speaker.

It bothers me how repetitive and ambiguous pronouns can be. In my language we can use the equivalent to ‘this one’ instead of he/she/it etc. It’s less usual, but still sounds natural. But I don’t know how it sounds to a native English speaker. The only examples I found in English were archaic.

Example:

John saw Mario again after three years, and thought that he
(Mario, not John) lost a lot of weight.

Does it sound weird if I write instead:

John saw Mario again after three years, and thought that this one
lost a lot of weight.

I wonder that something like ‘the guy’ could be used instead of ‘Mario’, but it would not sound good if Mario is a well known character by the reader. Of course I can use Mario again, but it doesn't work well in the sentence that concerns me.

style grammar

share|improve this question

edited 7 hours ago

Cyn♦

29.7k33 gold badges6767 silver badges132132 bronze badges

asked 9 hours ago

LouisrLouisr

2111 bronze badge

New contributor

Louisr is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|improve this question

edited 7 hours ago

Cyn♦

29.7k33 gold badges6767 silver badges132132 bronze badges

asked 9 hours ago

LouisrLouisr

2111 bronze badge

New contributor

Louisr is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|improve this question

edited 7 hours ago

Cyn♦

29.7k33 gold badges6767 silver badges132132 bronze badges

asked 9 hours ago

LouisrLouisr

2111 bronze badge

New contributor

Louisr is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

edited 7 hours ago

Cyn♦

29.7k33 gold badges6767 silver badges132132 bronze badges

edited 7 hours ago

Cyn♦

29.7k33 gold badges6767 silver badges132132 bronze badges

asked 9 hours ago

LouisrLouisr

2111 bronze badge

New contributor

Louisr is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

asked 9 hours ago

LouisrLouisr

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8

There is a distinct use of "this one" in English which is a matter of usage rather than grammar. It is used by one person to refer to another person (often, though not always, an inferior), who has done something stupid. Thus:

"We were driving along in the rain and this one decided to hit the sunroof switch."

or:

"We were all in the living room watching the game when this one decided to put the cat in the microwave."

(This is an idiomatic usage, so it will be far more common in some parts of the English speaking world than others.)

Your example does not quite fit this idiomatic usage pattern, but it is close enough to it that someone accustomed to that usage might assume that you intended to use that idiom and got it wrong. (That was the first thing I thought of when I read it.)

In any case, your formulation just is not common or idiomatic usage in English, so the short answer to your question is, no.

What you could do to introduce variety into your example question is something like this:

John saw Mario again after three years, and thought that his friend had lost a lot of weight.

share|improve this answer

edited 8 hours ago

answered 8 hours ago

Mark BakerMark Baker

58k55 gold badges103103 silver badges215215 bronze badges

add a comment | 

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8

There is a distinct use of "this one" in English which is a matter of usage rather than grammar. It is used by one person to refer to another person (often, though not always, an inferior), who has done something stupid. Thus:

"We were driving along in the rain and this one decided to hit the sunroof switch."

or:

"We were all in the living room watching the game when this one decided to put the cat in the microwave."

(This is an idiomatic usage, so it will be far more common in some parts of the English speaking world than others.)

Your example does not quite fit this idiomatic usage pattern, but it is close enough to it that someone accustomed to that usage might assume that you intended to use that idiom and got it wrong. (That was the first thing I thought of when I read it.)

In any case, your formulation just is not common or idiomatic usage in English, so the short answer to your question is, no.

What you could do to introduce variety into your example question is something like this:

John saw Mario again after three years, and thought that his friend had lost a lot of weight.

share|improve this answer

edited 8 hours ago

answered 8 hours ago

Mark BakerMark Baker

58k55 gold badges103103 silver badges215215 bronze badges

add a comment | 

8

There is a distinct use of "this one" in English which is a matter of usage rather than grammar. It is used by one person to refer to another person (often, though not always, an inferior), who has done something stupid. Thus:

"We were driving along in the rain and this one decided to hit the sunroof switch."

or:

"We were all in the living room watching the game when this one decided to put the cat in the microwave."

(This is an idiomatic usage, so it will be far more common in some parts of the English speaking world than others.)

Your example does not quite fit this idiomatic usage pattern, but it is close enough to it that someone accustomed to that usage might assume that you intended to use that idiom and got it wrong. (That was the first thing I thought of when I read it.)

In any case, your formulation just is not common or idiomatic usage in English, so the short answer to your question is, no.

What you could do to introduce variety into your example question is something like this:

John saw Mario again after three years, and thought that his friend had lost a lot of weight.

share|improve this answer

edited 8 hours ago

answered 8 hours ago

Mark BakerMark Baker

58k55 gold badges103103 silver badges215215 bronze badges

add a comment | 

There is a distinct use of "this one" in English which is a matter of usage rather than grammar. It is used by one person to refer to another person (often, though not always, an inferior), who has done something stupid. Thus:

"We were driving along in the rain and this one decided to hit the sunroof switch."

or:

"We were all in the living room watching the game when this one decided to put the cat in the microwave."

(This is an idiomatic usage, so it will be far more common in some parts of the English speaking world than others.)

Your example does not quite fit this idiomatic usage pattern, but it is close enough to it that someone accustomed to that usage might assume that you intended to use that idiom and got it wrong. (That was the first thing I thought of when I read it.)

In any case, your formulation just is not common or idiomatic usage in English, so the short answer to your question is, no.

What you could do to introduce variety into your example question is something like this:

John saw Mario again after three years, and thought that his friend had lost a lot of weight.

share|improve this answer

edited 8 hours ago

answered 8 hours ago

Mark BakerMark Baker

58k55 gold badges103103 silver badges215215 bronze badges

share|improve this answer

edited 8 hours ago

answered 8 hours ago

Mark BakerMark Baker

58k55 gold badges103103 silver badges215215 bronze badges

answered 8 hours ago

Mark BakerMark Baker

58k55 gold badges103103 silver badges215215 bronze badges

answered 8 hours ago

Mark BakerMark Baker

58k55 gold badges103103 silver badges215215 bronze badges