Other
Othermeans ‘additional or extra’, or ‘alternative’, or ‘different types of’.
Otheras a determiner
We can useotherwith singular uncountable nouns and with plural nouns:
The embassy website has general information about visas.Othertravel information can be obtained by calling the freephone number.(additionalor extra information)
Some music calms people;othermusic has the opposite effect.(different types of music)
Whatotherbooks by Charles Dickens have you read, apart from ‘Oliver Twist’?(additional or extra books)
This one’s too big. Do you have it inothersizes?(alternative sizes)
If we useotherbefore a singular countable noun, we must use another determiner before it:
I don’t like the red one. I prefertheothercolour.
Not:I prefer other colour.
Jeremy is at university;ourotherson is still at school.
He got 100% in the final examination.Nootherstudent has ever achieved that.
There’soneotherthing we need to discuss before we finish.
Other as a determiner does not have a plural form:
Mandy and Charlotte stayed behind. Theothergirls went home.
Not:The others girls…
See also:
Determiners (the, my,some,this)
Otheras a pronoun
Wecan useotheras a pronoun. As a pronoun,otherhas aplural form,others:
We have to solve this problem, more than anyother, today.
I’ll attach two photos to this email and I’ll sendotherstomorrow.
The other
The otheras a determiner
The otherwith a singular noun means the second of two things or people, or theopposite of a set of two:
This computer here is new.The othercomputer is about five years old.
A:D’youknow the Indian restaurant in Palmer Street?
B:Yes.
A:Well, the gift shop is ontheotherside of the street, directly opposite. (the opposite side)
The otherwith a plural noun means the remaining people or things in a group or set:
Joel and Karen are here, but where arethe otherkids?(the remaining people in a group)
Where arethe othertwo dinner plates? I can only find four.(the remaining things in a set – here six plates)
The otheras a pronoun
We can usethe otheras 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 inthe other.
She has two kittens, one is black andthe otheris all white.
Another
When we use the indefinite articleanbeforeother, we write it as one word:another.Anothermeans ‘one more’ or ‘an additional or extra’, or ‘an alternative or different’.
Anotheras a determiner
We useanotherwith singular nouns:
Would you likeanothercup of coffee?
You’ve met Linda, but I haveanothersister who you haven’t met, called Margaret.
I don’t like this place. Is thereanothercafé around here we could go to?(alternative or different)
Anotheras a pronoun
Wecan useanotheras a pronoun:
The applications are examined by one committee, then passed on toanother.
Other,others,the otheroranother: typical errors
Whenotheris a determiner, it does not have a plural form:
These boxes are for books. Theotherboxes are for clothes.
Not:The others boxes…
Whenotheras 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;othersdisagree.
Not: …other disagree.
Othermust have a determiner before it when it comes in front of a singular countable noun. If the noun is indefinite (e.g.abook, a woman, an idea), we useanother:
I’ve posted the first package. What shall I do withthat otherpackage?
Not:What shall I do with other package?
After a month in Bolivia, I was ready to move toanothercountry.
Not: …to move to other country.
We writeanotheras one word:
There isanothercar park a little further down the same street.
Not:There is an other car park…
Anotheris singular. We don’t use it with plural nouns:
Otherinteresting places to visit include the old harbour and the castle.
Not:Another interesting places to visit…