alone
alone — adjective
1. having nobody else nearby; not in the company of any other person.
having nobody else nearby; not in the company of any other person.
Dimitri was alone in the kitchen when the lights suddenly went out.
predicative: subject + be + alone + place phrase
After her flatmate moved away, Priya lived alone for almost a year.
live alone collocation
Please leave the baby alone for a few minutes so she can sleep.
There were four guards in the room, so the prisoner was never alone.
Olu felt safer hiking with friends than walking the trail alone at dusk.
- by yourself
very close in meaning; slightly more conversational
- on your own
common in British English; implies independence as well as solitude
- solitary
more formal and literary; often suggests a chosen state
- together
with one or more other people
- accompanied
formal; with someone who is escorting you
文法句型
be alone
leave someone alone
用法筆記
Almost always predicative (after a linking verb such as be, feel, sit). It is unusual to place 'alone' before the noun it describes; for that, use 'lonely' or 'solitary' instead.
常見錯誤
2. considered separately from anything or anyone else; with no other people or thin
considered separately from anything or anyone else; with no other people or things included.
The price of fuel alone has jumped twenty percent since January.
noun + alone meaning 'just this one'
In Tokyo alone, more than thirty new cafes opened last summer.
place name + alone for emphasis on a single area
Nadia alone knew the password to the safe in her grandfather's study.
The cost of the books alone was higher than my whole monthly food budget.
- combined
added together with something else
- altogether
considering all parts as a whole
文法句型
noun + alone
the + noun + alone
用法筆記
Goes immediately after the noun or pronoun it limits, never before. Distinguish from sense 1: here 'alone' isolates one item or person from a larger set, rather than describing a state of solitude.
常見錯誤
alone — adverb
1. modifying a verb or clause to mean 'relying on this one factor and excluding eve
modifying a verb or clause to mean 'relying on this one factor and excluding every other condition'.
You cannot judge a teacher by exam scores alone; classroom care matters too.
by + noun + alone meaning 'only that factor'
Talent alone will not get Xander into the orchestra; he also needs daily practice.
noun + alone as subject, meaning 'just this'
Rice alone makes a poor dinner, so Aunt Lin always adds vegetables and tofu.
Doctors warned that medicine alone would not cure the boy's stomach pain.
文法句型
verb + alone
based on X alone
用法筆記
Functions adverbially: modifies the whole verb phrase or clause to say the action depends on this one factor and nothing else. Distinguish from adjective/2: the adjective sense isolates a noun in a set ('Tokyo alone has 30 cafes'), while this adverb sense conditions a verb ('talent alone will not get him in'). Often paired with a follow-up clause showing what else is needed.
常見錯誤
2. without any other person helping you or doing the activity with you.
without any other person helping you or doing the activity with you.
At eight years old, Tomás cooked breakfast alone for the first time.
verb + alone showing solo action
Olu drove the truck alone all the way from Denver to El Paso.
verb of motion + alone
You cannot finish such a heavy project alone; your team needs to share the work.
The old fisherman fixed the broken net alone, sitting on the wooden dock all afternoon.
- by yourself
everyday phrase; same meaning
- on your own
British-leaning; emphasises independent effort
- single-handed
more emphatic; suggests an impressive solo achievement
文法句型
verb + alone
do something alone
用法筆記
Distinguish from adverb sense 1: this sense talks about the absence of helpers (people) during an action, while sense 1 talks about excluding other factors. If you can replace 'alone' with 'on my own', you are in sense 2.