When to use “other” and “another.”

One of the puzzling challenges of writing in English is knowing when to choose alternative words according to the rules of English grammar. When those words are similar, the choice can be all the more confusing. Another is an adjective – a word that describes a noun – describing quantity. It usually means one more of the same thing, or something added on. So at dinner someone might ask you if you would like another serving or helping of food, instead of asking you if you want more. Another can also mean something different. At the same dinner, perhaps someone offers you some durian, but you hate durian so you turn down the offer. The person might ask you if you want another fruit. This means would you like a different sort of fruit.

Finally, another can refer to something that is very like something or someone else. So if your brother is very smart in his science classes, you can say that he is another Einstein. While we are discussing the use of the word another as an adjective, you do not have to worry about when it is used as a pronoun, a word that substitutes for a noun. Just keep in mind that it can indeed be used as a pronoun. One example of this usage among many, where another still means one more or one extra, is if you say that even though you have just eaten a giant plate of Pad Thai you still feel hungry, so you have decided to have another. In the previous sentence, the word another allows us to say we want more instead of having to say the repetitive phrase: “Even though I ate a giant plate of Pad Thai I still feel hungry, so I have decided to have one more plate of Pad Thai.” In this case, the word another just gives us an option of saying the same thing in a different way when we are writing or speaking.

Another as an adjective.

A famous example of the word another is Another One Bites the Dust, a song by British rock band Queen. Another Brick in the Wall is the title of three songs on a 1979 album by another British rock group, Pink Floyd. When you try to find words that are synonyms, you are looking for another word with the same meaning as the word you previously thought of. Many sayings or expressions in English use the word another, such as “One man’s meat is another man’s poison,” which basically means that you may not like what what I enjoy and vice-versa. This saying does not need to refer to anything that may kill you, such as poison. In the Hollywood movie Gone with the Wind, the heroine Scarlett O’Hara says, “Tomorrow is another day.” She meant that although the present day was terrible for her, the following day may be better.

Other as an adjective.

Although other is also an adjective, it has a somewhat different meaning than another. Whereas another means one more, other usually means a different one. You use the word other when you have already discussed one thing that is part of a group or series, and now you want to talk about the following one. So you might say you have two children and one is smart. The person you are talking to might then understand that the other is stupid. The film actress Kate Bosworth has eyes with irises of two different colors. Her left eye is blue and the other is hazel. Since most people have two eyes, and you have already mentioned the first one, it is appropriate to use the word other to describe Kate Bosworth’s second eye. Likewise, if you mention a novel in two volumes, you can say that the first volume was exciting to read but the other was boring. That means instead of having to say that the first volume was exciting but the second volume was boring, you can use the word other instead. Another use of the word other would be if you say that some Thai people are on a diet and starve themselves to stay thin but other people eat all day long.

Differences between other and another.

Since another means one more, it is used when the noun it goes with is singular. At the end of a lecture or presentation, if the speaker says we have time for another question, it means there is only time for one more question. If the speaker asks are if there are any other questions, that means there is time for any number of further questions.

Hint: Other is used for the plural and another for the singular.

If your family owns two cars, and only one is parked in front of your house, your friend may ask where the other car is. If your family decides that it hates one of the cars it owns, you may decide to buy another. If you hate both of your cars, then you need to buy other cars. That means you will choose a different kind of car the next time you buy one, not the same model or make. If your family owns three cars and only one is parked in front of the house, your friend may ask, “Where are the others?”

As in the case of another, the word other can also be used as a pronoun. You can say that in class, you always finish your exams on time, but the others usually take too much time. In this case, the word others means other students in your class.

If you are searching for synonyms, you can ask for another word with the same meaning. That means you will be satisfied if you find or are told about a single further meaning. If you ask for other words with the same meaning, obviously you need more than one synonym. Someone may ask you to describe Thammasat University’s two Bangkok campuses. You would say that one is at Tha Prachan and the other is at Rangsit. In Bangkok Thammasat has two campuses, so we can use the word other. If the same person wants to know about Thammasat’s campuses all over Thailand, then you might say that there is another in Lampang,. There is also another in Pattaya. There is still another in Narathiwat and yet another in Udon Thani. Thammasat has two campuses in Bangkok. One is small and the other is large. Other campuses are found throughout the Kingdom. Other universities have fewer campuses. Another university might be centralized on a single campus. Other people are happy to study elsewhere, but you enjoy Thammasat. They prefer another university, but you like your university, instead of others.

One way to avoid making mistakes.

Here is one technique applicable in all sorts of situations of writing English: If you are not sure about whether to use other or another in a sentence, write whatever you feel must be correct, put quotes around it and search Google.com for it. If there are few or no results for your phrase, then chances are you have made a mistake. Try again.

(all images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons).