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Confused About 'One of the' vs 'The One' in a Review I'm Writing

Asked byPunctuation PaulPosted Mar 29, 2026 7:16 PM3 answers16 upvotesCanonical URL

Hi everyone, I’m working on a review for a book club assignment and got stuck on which phrase to use. I want to say that Harry is one character from the group who solves the problem, but also that he’s the most important one.

Should I write, "Harry is one of the people who solve the mystery," or "Harry is the one who solves the mystery"? They sound similar to me, but do they mean the same? I want to be accurate, so any explanation would help!

Context:
Intended for academic writing, US English

#demonstratives#word-choice

What to Know

What to KnowWhy It MattersExampleQuick Check
If you can reasonably say both Harry and someone else, use "one of the"."One of the [group] who [verb]" is used when the subject is among several people performing the action.This wording is correct because it matches the intended meaning in context.Can I explain why this form fits this sentence better than the alternative?
Writers often memorize a definition but miss the context cue that controls the correct choice.This helps you choose wording by meaning instead of surface form.A different phrasing is better when the literal meaning would be clearer.Did I choose this form for meaning, not because it looked familiar?

3 Answers

ByClaire CopydeskMar 29, 2026 7:36 PM9 upvotesAccepted answer

Let's focus on identifying a reusable pattern for "one of the..." versus "the one who...":

  • "One of the [group] who [verb]" is used when the subject is among several people performing the action.
  • "The one who [verb]" specifies a single person uniquely performing the action.

Examples:

  • "Jo is one of the students who passed the test." (Jo and others passed.)
  • "Jo is the one who passed the test." (Only Jo passed.)

Self-Check:
Think about your sentence's meaning: Are others solving the mystery, or only Harry? Plug another name into your sentence. If you can reasonably say both Harry and someone else, use "one of the". If not, use "the one".

ByAmelia EditorMar 29, 2026 7:56 PM4 upvotes

To clarify the difference, let’s compare them side by side:

  • "One of the people who solves the mystery" means Harry is a member of a group, and more than one person solves the mystery.
  • "The one who solves the mystery" singles Harry out as the only person who solves it.

Examples:

  • "Amanda is one of the artists who contributed to the mural." (Multiple artists contributed.)
  • "Amanda is the one who designed the mural." (Only Amanda designed it.)

Practice Tip:
Write two new sentences for your review, one with each phrase, and check which best fits your meaning. Swap out Harry’s name with another character to test if both phrases still make sense for your context.

ByNora GrammarMar 29, 2026 8:16 PM3 upvotes

Let's practice choosing between the phrases:

  • Use "one of the..." if more than one character solves the mystery. Example: "Rita is one of the players who score goals in the game."
  • Use "the one who..." if only one character does the action. Example: "Rita is the one who scores the winning goal."

Here’s how you can self-edit:

  • Ask: Did others also solve the mystery, or only Harry?
  • If others did, use "one of the people who..."
  • If only Harry did, use "the one who..."

Quick Practice:
Try writing a sentence about another book character using both patterns. Check which version better matches your meaning.

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