Another vs other (determiners)
We can use another and other as determiners, i.e. before a noun.
Use another + singular noun.
- I need another cup of coffee.
Use other + plural noun.
- I want to talk to other doctors.
Note that determiners don’t have a plural form. We say:
- I want to talk to other doctors. (NOT
to others doctors)
Another vs others (pronouns)
We can use another as a pronoun, i.e. not followed by a noun.
- I’ve already had one beer, but I’ll have another.
Others is always a pronoun, i.e. never followed by a noun.
- I don’t want to use these glasses. Aren’t there any others? (=other glasses)
Other vs others
We normally use other + plural noun.
- I want to see other shops before deciding.
Others is a pronoun, i.e. not followed by a noun.
- A lot of volunteers have joined us, but we need to find others.
The other, the others
The other + noun
Use the other + singular noun to mean ‘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.
We could also say the other one instead of the other computer.
Use the other + plural noun to mean ‘the remaining people or things in a group or set’.
- Joel and Karen are here, but where are the other kids? (the remaining kids in the group)
the other or the others + noun
We can also use the other as a pronoun (not followed by noun).
- This computer here is new. The other is about five years old.
We can also use the others as a pronoun (not followed by noun).
- Joel and Karen are here, but where are the others? (the remaining kids in the group)
