Which should you use, a lone or alone? The adjective alone means without other people. Alone is not used before nouns; alone can also function as an adverb meaning without anyone else. The adjective lone means alone. Lone is used before nouns.
| Incorrect: |
I am a lone in the house. |
| Correct: |
I am alone in the house. |
| Incorrect: |
She sat there a lone. |
| Correct: |
She sat there alone. |
| Incorrect: |
I saw alone figure in the distance. |
| Correct: |
I saw a lone figure in the distance. |
