The usage of articles with the word right and only [closed]
Very often, the article THE goes with the words RIGHT and ONLY. When is it OK to use A?
Examples:
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This is a difficult question. Is there a right answer to it? (I think it's correct)
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This is a difficult question. Is there the/an only one right answer to it? (Not sure)
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This is a difficult question. However, there is a right answer to it. (I think it's correct)
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This is a difficult question. However, there is the/an only one right answer to it. (not sure)
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This is a difficult question. There is not a right answer to it. (I think it's correct)
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This is a difficult question. There is not the/an only one right answer to it. (not sure)
Solution 1:
- Is there a right answer to it? is natural and normal
2a. Is there the is incoherent, because is there is not normallyused to refer to definites.
2b. Is there only one right answer to it? is fine.
- There is a right answer to it is grammatical, but unusual, because it does not logically add anything beyond "there is an answer to it". So it gets used when the speaker is inviting the hearer to consider several possible answers, and particularly if the hearer has already suggested some answers which were not right.
4a. There is the right answer to it. is again odd because we don't use there is with definites.
4b. There is only one right answer to it is natural, when drawing attention to the fact that there are no other alternatives.
- There is not a right answer to it is fine.
6a. There is not the right answer to it is not normal again
5b. There is not only one right answer to it is grammatical, and implies that there are several right answers.