Skip to main content

Other, others, the other or another?

Other​

Other means ‘additional or extra’, or ‘alternative’, or ‘different types of’.

Other as a determiner​

We can use other with singular uncountable nouns and with plural nouns:

  • The embassy website has general information about visas. Other travel information can be obtained by calling the freephone number. (additional or extra information)
  • Some music calms people; other music has the opposite effect. (different types of music)
  • What other books by Charles Dickens have you read, apart from ‘Oliver Twist’? (additional or extra books)
  • This one’s too big. Do you have it in other sizes? (alternative sizes)

If we use other before a singular countable noun, we must use another determiner before it:

  • I don’t like the red one. I prefer the other colour.
  • Not: I prefer other colour.
  • Jeremy is at university; our other son is still at school.
  • He got 100% in the final examination. No other student has ever achieved that.
  • There’s one other thing we need to discuss before we finish.
warning

Other as a determiner does not have a plural form:

  • Mandy and Charlotte stayed behind. The other girls went home.
  • Not: The others girls …
See also
  • Determiners (the, my, some, this)

Other as a pronoun​

We can use other as a pronoun. As a pronoun, other has a plural form, others:

  • We have to solve this problem, more than any other, today.
  • I’ll attach two photos to this email and I’ll send others tomorrow.

The other​

The other as a determiner​

The other with a singular noun means the second of two things or people, or the opposite of a set of two:

  • This computer here is new. The other computer is about five years old.
  • A: D’you know the Indian restaurant in Palmer Street?
  • B: Yes.
  • A: Well, the gift shop is on the other side of the street, directly opposite. (the opposite side)

The other with a plural noun means the remaining people or things in a group or set:

  • Joel and Karen are here, but where are the other kids? (the remaining people in a group)
  • Where are the other two dinner plates? I can only find four. (the remaining things in a set – here six plates)

The other as a pronoun​

We can use the other as a pronoun, especially to refer back to something which has been mentioned already in the sentence:

  • He had his hat in one hand and a bunch of flowers in the other.
  • She has two kittens, one is black and the other is all white.

Another​

When we use the indefinite article an before other, we write it as one word: another. Another means ‘one more’ or ‘an additional or extra’, or ‘an alternative or different’.

Another as a determiner​

We use another with singular nouns:

  • Would you like another cup of coffee?
  • You’ve met Linda, but I have another sister who you haven’t met, called Margaret.
  • I don’t like this place. Is there another café around here we could go to? (alternative or different)

Another as a pronoun​

We can use another as a pronoun:

  • The applications are examined by one committee, then passed on to another.

Other, others, the other or another: typical errors​

When other is a determiner, it does not have a plural form:

  • These boxes are for books. The other boxes are for clothes.
  • Not: The others boxes …

When other as a pronoun refers to more than one person or thing, it takes the plural form, others:

  • Some scientists think we should reduce the number of flights to prevent global warming; others disagree.
  • Not: … other disagree.

Other must have a determiner before it when it comes in front of a singular countable noun. If the noun is indefinite (e.g. a book, a woman, an idea), we use another:

  • I’ve posted the first package. What shall I do with that other package?
  • Not: What shall I do with other package?
  • After a month in Bolivia, I was ready to move to another country.
  • Not: … to move to other country.

We write another as one word:

  • There is another car park a little further down the same street.
  • Not: There is an other car park …

Another is singular. We don’t use it with plural nouns:

  • Other interesting places to visit include the old harbour and the castle.
  • Not: Another interesting places to visit …