"I like these ones." Does that sentence make you cringe a little?
You're not alone. A lot of people feel like "these ones" and "those ones" are wrong — that you should just say "these" or "those" by themselves because "ones" after a demonstrative adjective is redundant.
But others point out that "these ones" has been in use for more than a hundred years and sometimes it adds clarity — like when you're pointing at a group of flowers in a garden. 1/2
"These ones" is also more common in British English than in American English, which might be why it sounds off to some American ears.
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(Paraphrased listener question) When my son was in elementary school, I started hearing kids use the phrases “these ones” and “those ones,” and that doesn’t sound right to me. It should be “that one” or “those over there,” not “those ones.” But I’ve also heard other people use the phrases “these ones” and “those ones.”
@grammargirl We primarily watch British TV shows every day, like drama, sitcoms, news, etc. British English phrases have slowly became part of our speech.
Between the British English, bad American English habits, and the #AppalachianOhio slang and twang, I am sure we confuse people, esp when we go to the city.😂
Mignon Fogarty
Paul Chambers🚧