[Grammar] that of VS one of

[rkatk]

(naver.com)

The vast majority of people in the United States maintain a standard of living that far exceeds (that/one) of other countries.

The answer is the first one, that. I don't understand why "one" is wrong grammatically. What is the difference between them?

What about " the one"? Is it possible to use the one instead of that in the sentence? Also, I don't understand why "those "is not used.

 

[jutfrank]

The pronoun one is not correct in this sentence. I don't think you really need to know why it's wrong, but it's not really to do with grammar as much as meaning. You should focus on the correct word, not the incorrect one.

In this case, the pronoun that stands in for 'the standard of living', which is a singular noun phrase.

 

[rkatk]

Thank your for your reply.

I have a question for you. In this case, "the one" is ok?

 

[emsr2d2]

Thank [STRIKE]your[/STRIKE] you for your reply.

I have a question for you. In this case, is "the one" [STRIKE]is[/STRIKE] [STRIKE]ok[/STRIKE] OK/okay?

Please note my corrections above. Which of the several replies above were you thanking someone for?

Read all those responses again, very carefully. The responses/opinions you received about "one" also refer to "the one".

 

[Phaedrus]

The vast majority of people in the United States maintain a standard of living that far exceeds (that/one) of other countries.

Given that other countries have differing standards of living, I would use those rather than that.

Another route is to change "that of" to "that maintained by the vast majority of people in," bringing about symmetry with the first half of the sentence.

The vast majority of people in the United States maintain a standard of living that far exceeds that maintained by the vast majority of people in other countries.

Incidentally, the selfsame question is being asked at at least one other grammar site. I'm choosing to make an addition here to an answer I gave elsewhere.

 

[Rover_KE]

rkatk, "We recommend posting a question on one forum only initially. If you do not get a satisfactory answer from that forum and you feel that you have exhausted its possibilities, then of course trying a different forum might help. It is only courteous however, to tell the second forum that you have already asked the question on another forum and then give a precis of the answers you received there, or provide a link to it, along with an explanation of why you are now looking elsewhere."
(emsr2d2)