one thing I dislike

[navi tasan]

1 One thing I dislike about him is his loud laugh.
2 One of the things I dislike about him is his loud laugh.

Is there any difference between the meanings of these sentences?

Is it possible that in '1' there is only one thing I dislike about him?
I doubt that. I think in that case one would say:
3 The one thing I dislike about him is his loud laugh.

Gratefully,
Navi.

 

[tedmc]

You are right.
Your signing off is unusual. ;-)

not a teacher

 

[José Manuel Rosón Bravo]

[Not a teacher]

In the first sentence, you are just expressing your dislike of "one thing" about him, althought it does not have to be the only thing or aspect you don't like about that person.

In the second sentence, there are only two things you dislike about him, and his laud laugh is one of them.

 

[Grumpy]

[Not a teacher]

In the first sentence, you are just expressing your dislike of "one thing" about him, although it does not have to be the only thing or aspect you don't like about that person.

In the second sentence, there are only two things you dislike about him, and his loud laugh is one of them.

I don't agree with your comment about the second sentence, Jose. There is nothing in the second sentence which specifies "only two things". There may be lots of things you dislike about him.

 

[José Manuel Rosón Bravo]

I don't agree with your comment about the second sentence, Jose. There is nothing in the second sentence which specifies "only two things". There may be lots of things you dislike about him.

Yes, you are right. Sorry. I don't remember what I was thinking about when I wrote "two" things. Obviously "one of the things" expresses a diversity of them.

 

[Tdol]

Is it possible that in '1' there is only one thing I dislike about him?

It's possible if the fact that it is the only thing has not been established.

 

[MikeNewYork]

If there were only one thing, the speaker would likely have said "The thing I dislike...".

 

[José Manuel Rosón Bravo]

If there were only one thing, the speaker would likely have said "The thing I dislike...".

I think the same. "One thing I dislike" seems to refer to such a feeling in relation to a given part or aspect of his personality or behavior considered at that moment, but not the one that he/she specifically dislikes about him.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Another way of limiting it to one thing would be "The one thing I dislike...".

 

[Tdol]

If the person does something that annoys you and you haven't really given much thought to how annoying they are, you could use the form and then, on reflection, add the article. It's the kind of possibility that Navi likes. ;-)