the one on the left vs the one to the left

Both "the one on the left" and "the one to the left" are correct phrases, but they are used in slightly different contexts. "The one on the left" is commonly used to refer to a specific object or person located on the left side of a group or arrangement. On the other hand, "the one to the left" is used to describe the direction in which something is located, indicating that the object or person is positioned to the left of another reference point.

Last updated: March 25, 2024 • 3791 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to refer to a specific object or person located on the left side of a group or arrangement.

"the one on the left"

This phrase is used to identify a particular item or individual that is situated on the left side of a given context, such as a row of objects or people.

Examples:

Can you pass me the book on the left?
The house on the left is painted blue.
She is the one on the left in the group photo.
The first door on the left is the restroom.
The car on the left is mine.

Show examples from the web [+]

And the one on the left is pretty awful.
I mean, the one on the left is pretty bad.
Mine's the one on the left.
First, looking at the one on the left.
Cate still lives in the one on the left.
Now, the one on the left was tele-photoed last night...
That said, the one on the left.
I really like the one on the left.
You know, I told you it was the one on the left.
Both of these machines are capable of automatically identifying a human target and firing on it, the one on the left at a distance of over a kilometer.
So the one on the right was done first, and then the one on the left was done over it.
There are lines in front of the one on the right, and there are lines behind the one on the left, and so it takes it into different planes.
Hercules, you take the one on the left. I'll take the one on the right.
The differences are what interest me, because the one on the left was made to a pretty unvarying design for about a million years - from one-and-a-half million years ago to half a million years ago.
You see, there are two screens on either side of the rev counter, so the one on the left tells me all sorts of things I'm not really very interested in and the one on the right is a speedo or a satnav screen.
There are lines in front of the one on the right, and there are lines behind the one on the left,
because the one on the left was made to a pretty unvarying design for about a million years - from one-and-a-half million years ago to half a million years ago.
The one on the left is currently under surveillance in San Antonio.
The one on the left is Akela Amador's.
The one on the left is LaHood's boy, Josh.

Alternatives:

the one on the right
the one in the middle
the one at the back
the one in front
the one behind

This phrase is correct and is used to describe the direction in which something is located, indicating that the object or person is positioned to the left of another reference point.

"the one to the left"

This phrase is employed to indicate the relative position of an object or person in relation to another point of reference, specifying that it is situated on the left side.

Examples:

Move the chair to the left of the table.
The building to the left of the church is a school.
She is standing to the left of the stage.
The house to the left of ours is for sale.
The bookshelf to the left of the door is where I keep my books.

Show examples from the web [+]

The one to the left, that's Andromeda.
Pass two to the right, one to the left...
This will split the frame (which may be the main editing area) in two equally sized frames, the new one to the left of the current one. The new frame gets the focus, and will display the same document as the old one.
Some of these plants, like the ones on the bottom to the left of your screen, they are down to the last few remaining members.
Move the cursor one character to the left
Move the cursor one character to the left
Your video is very similar to the one the killer left behind.
One steering movement shall be made to the right and one to the left.
If a car comes, shoot one burst to the right, one to the left.
First, locate the panel with the diamond pattern and slide the center portion one millimeter to the left.
Reade, the one next to it on the left.
And the right one closer to the left.
The logo shows two chestnuts, one overlapping the other, the one in front leaning to the left and the other upright.
Two paces ahead, one to the left.
The one on the left Is OfficerAndrews.
He wants the one on the left.
The one on the left won't stop either.
Most people would choose the one on the left.
And the one on the left is pretty awful.
I mean, the one on the left is pretty bad.

Alternatives:

the one to the right
the one in front
the one behind
the one on the left
the one on the right

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the one on the left vs the one to the left