The Others

I’ve noticed that a lot of you have problems with others! Well, it’s time we exorcized the evil usage out of your language! Let’s start with the basics.

We use other with general, plural nouns.

I have seen other spirits.

We use another with general, singular nouns.

I have seen another spirit.

We use the other with specific, singular or plural nouns.

I have seen the spirit of the other Headless Horseman.

We can also use another and the plural form of others as pronouns.

I have just seen another.

I have seen others before.

We also use each other  or one another when people in a group do the same action simultaneously to other people in this group. Do NOT confuse this concept with reflexive pronouns. We use reflexive pronouns when the subject and object of a sentence is the same. Check out the difference:

Jack and Jill hurt themselves.

Jack and Jill hurt each other. / Jack and Jill hurt one another.

In the first sentence, Jack hurt Jack and Jill hurt Jill. But in the next pair of sentences, Jack hurt Jill and Jill hurt Jack.

That leads us to the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”