Another v Other v Others (Part 1)

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So many students have difficulties with another and other.

Nuria asked me if there was a post on it; well there is now. I am always happy to take requests.


Consider the following sentences:

(a) I'm going to order another bottle of wine. 😍 

(b) I'm going to order other bottle of wine. 😡 

We generally use another with singular countable nouns. It's like saying one more.

• My husband wants other another son. I'd prefer a daughter.  (We already have a son)
• I have a student who is from Peru and other another who is from Venezuela.
• Would you like other another slice of chocolate cake?
• We should give him other another chance.

Another can also have the meaning of a different one.

• This pen doesn't work. Do you have other another one?
• I'm on holiday next week so you'll have other another teacher while I'm away.
• Let's go to other another bar. I'm tired of going to the same one every time.
• I should get other another car. I've had this one for 15 years.

Easy so far?

Expecting an exception?

Well, you can use another before a plural quantity with a number.

• I need other another three or four days to finish this report.
• There's still other another 100 kms until we get there.
• Other Another two shops in my street have closed down. 

Plural quantities are often treated as singular in English.

£5 is a lot to pay for a cup of coffee.😍   (£5 = five pounds)

£5 are a lot to pay for a cup of coffee.😡 

40ºC is very hot.😍  (40º = forty degrees)

40ºC are very hot. 😡 


Another exception?

Often my students say:
I didn't understand. Can we listen another time? 😡 

They should really say:
I didn't understand. Can we listen again / one more time? 😍 


Again / one more time would translate as otra vez.

Another time has the idea of en otra ocasión:

• One time we went to the sea-side for the weekend. Another time we went to the mountains.

Yet another exception?

We often use someone else, something else or somewhere else instead of another.

• Would you like another thing something else?     (¿Quieres otra cosa?)
• I'd prefer to go to another place somewhere else.     (Preferiría ir a otro sitio)
• Can another person someone else drive?     (¿Puede conducir otro?)

This is taking longer than I expected. So I'll continue this another time? / some other time?  Arghhhh -  even I'm confused now!