I am an English learner in mainland China. I have a question regarding the structure "On the one hand… On the other hand" and would really appreciate it if anyone can elucidate this point.
Please mind that I already know from other posts that "On the other hand" can be used independently without a previous "On the one hand".
My question is: if I have already used "on the one hand", do I have to use "on the other hand" later? Or is it okay to use "on the one hand" followed by contrasting phrases like "by contrast"?
Best Answer
The usual construction in the English (or any similar) language would be:
On the one hand... On the other [hand]... — Cambridge Dict.
Sometimes, we do not explicitly state "on the one hand", but it is often assumed.
The following Google Ngram shows that "on the other hand" is used more frequently than "on the one hand".
On the other hand, using "on the one hand" without "on the other hand" will sound odd, or illogical, to a native speaker at least. There may not be any rules regarding this other than general usage trends.