A practical english grammar - Vyssaja skola 1978
Noun determiners as substitute nouns
Sound symbols
Most of the noun determiners can be used with no following noun when the context makes it clear what noun is meant. In the case of possessive pronouns (except whose) there is a special form that is used when no noun follows (mine, yours, etc.). Those noun determiners that contain of omit the of when no noun follows.
Herbert has his book and I have mine.
I wanted some rice, but they didn’t have any.
Do you have any money? No, not much.
Do you have any time? Yes, lots.
I have some paper. Do you think we need more?
Do people like him? Most do; some don’t.
Here is an alphabetical list of the noun determiners that occur as substitute nouns, with the restrictions mentioned in the notes that follow:
a good deal either most that
a great deal enough much these
a lot (a) few neither this
all (a) little one those
another lots other(s) two, three, etc.
any many several which
both more some whose
each
1) The following noun determiners in this list, when replacing count nouns, may either be followed by the substitute noun one(s) or stand alone:
another either which
each neither
(apples) Will you have another? another one?
(children) Each has a piece of candy. Each one has . . .
2) The following noun determiners, when replacing count nouns, are not followed by one(s):
all more these
both most those
enough several two, three, etc.
(a) few some whose
many
(men) All are mortal.
(workers) We have enough to do the job.
(jewels) A few were stolen.
(apples) Most had already fallen from the tree, but some were left. I put several in my pockets.
3) When other refers to plural count nouns, it is usually followed by ones, otherwise, it assumes the plural form itself: others.
(apples) Do you have any other ones? any others?
4) This and that as substitute nouns are used only when their referent is non-specific; that is, they refer to ideas, situations, etc., rather than to specific, named objects.
What is this? (something held in the hand, as yet unidentified) That’s very interesting. (the information you just gave me)
When this and that have specific referents, they must be followed by one.
(children) This one is taller than that one.
These and those, on the other hand, are never followed by ones.
(children) These are taller than those.
Most of the substitute nouns mentioned in this discussion can be followed by of-phrases. When replacing mass nouns, they can be followed by of it; when replacing count nouns, by of them.
all of the men all of them
all of the rice all of it
either of the children either of them
which of the books which of them
two of the boys two of them
Exercises