Overview: other, another, others, the other, the others
| Word | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| another | adjective or pronoun — one more (singular countable, unspecified) | Can I have another biscuit? · That one's broken — get another. |
| other | adjective — different; before plural or uncountable nouns | There are other ways to do it. · I have other work to finish. |
| others | pronoun — other people/things (no noun after it) | Some people liked it; others didn't. · I have two, but I need others. |
| the other | adjective or pronoun — the remaining one of exactly two | I have two cats. One is black; the other (one) is white. |
| the others | pronoun — the remaining ones in a specific group | Three students passed. The others need to retake the exam. |
| the other + plural noun | adjective — the remaining ones of a specific group | The other students can leave now. |
another = an + other:
Because "another" contains "an", it only goes with singular countable nouns: ✓ "another coffee" ✗ "another coffees" · For plurals, use "other": ✓ "other coffees"
others (pronoun) has no noun after it:
✓ "Some passed; others didn't." ✗ "Some passed; others students didn't." — When it's a pronoun, nothing follows it.
Exercises
Choose the correct word.
1. This shirt doesn't fit. Can I try ___ one? (one more, singular)
2. Some children love sport; ___ prefer reading. (pronoun, no noun after)
3. I have two phones. One is for work; ___ is personal.
4. Two students left early. ___ waited until the end. (the remaining specific group)
5. There are ___ solutions — we don't have to do it this way. (different, plural)