Learn English – Using “one can”

american-english

I can't understand when use one can and when just can. I can't event understand what difference between them. For example:

One can smoke on gas station.

Why we need word one in this sentence?

Best Answer

Because English normally requires you express a subject in every sentence, (even if there isn't a logical subject, as in sentences like "It is raining").

When the subject is a generalised person, people say "you" (more colloquial) or "one" (more formal).

In some very colloquial speech, it is possible to drop the subject when it's obvious who the subject is ("What did you do? Went home"). But I don't think we would ever do this for a generalised subject.

Related Topic