1. As with the articles , we use another the first time we refer to something singular

  

        I'd like another book, please

        I have another meeting next week

 

2. We use the other in subsequent references for singular or plural things and for unique things

     

      Do you want  this dictionary? No thanks , I need the othe

      The other day I met George. He was with another girlfriend

 

3. We use other as the plural form of another  and for uncountable nouns.

 

    Michael got other advice from  his teachers

    He was with other friends from work

    Have you got any other kind of fruit?

 

 

 

ANOTHER AND OTHER(S)

 

 

·       “additional, extra”

Another can mean  “ an additional extra”. It is used with singular countable nouns.

 

Could I have another piece of bread?

        Notice that another has two meanings:

       Would you like another drink? (one more of the same )

       Would you like another drink? ( a different one)

 

  Another can be used as a pronoun without a noun, or with one, if the meaning is clear from what has come before.

      Those cakes are wonderful . could I have another one?

With uncountable and plural nouns , we normally use more, not other

 

             Have another potato (not….an other potato)

            Have some more meat (not … other meat)

            We need more cups

However we can use  another before a plural noun in expressions with few or a number

 

                  Let’s wait another few minutes (= a few more minutes)

        The job will take another ten days . (=… ten more days).

 

(An)other can also mean  “an alternative”, “beside this/these”

          I think we should paint another colour

          Have you got  any other cakes, or are these the only ones?

Other people  often means “people beside oneself”

          Why don’t you think more about other people?

 

 When other is used with a noun it has no plural form.

              Where are the other photos?

But when used alone, without a noun, it can have a plural form.

           I´ve go a lot of photos. Where are the others?

            These are too small. Have you got any others?

 

Normally  other(s) is only used alone if it refers to a noun that has been mentioned before. An exception is the common plural use of  (the) others to mean (the) other people.

 

                He never thinks of others

                Jake´s arrived- I must tell the others

 

BUT NOT On the telephone , one cannot see the other OR he never listens to another