Learn English and meet people on the world’s largest EFL social network

Other or the other? and some other questions

General English Grammar & Vocabulary,... » ESL General English Grammar Questions

We have partnered with TradePub to bring you free industry magazines and resources - no coupons or credit cards required!

Visit: englishforums.tradepub.com


Share this topic:
This question is Not Answered
Latest post Fri, Apr 21 2006 3:08 PM by Grammar Geek. 6 replies.
Suggest an answer | | |
Davidrock65  +  218298 Fri, 21 Apr 06 07:53 AM

I have a few questions here: 

1.  She is as pretty as other/ the other girls you've met before.

     He easily gets distracted by other/ the other students.

    Some girls are beautiful, others/ the others are just plain-looking.

2.  Please check the box at /on the left on the computer.

3.  When do you use a singular noun after any?  Could you please give me some examples?

4.  Do you put a plural noun or a singular noun after any other?

5.  Are the following sentences correct?

     1. I invited him to come over.

     2. A: How are you gonna get here?   

        B:  I will drive a car over      C:I will take a bus over.

     3.  He is going to move over/ over there.

      4.  Do you want me to walk you over?

Could you please explain to me how to use over here?

 I'm also a little confused with when to use other or the other..

Really appreciate you for your explanation.
Davidrock65
Joined on Wed, Apr 19 2006
taipei
Full Member 237
, ,
Mister Micawber  +  218374 Fri, 21 Apr 06 11:38 AM

Hi, David.

1.  She is as pretty as other/ the other girls you've met before. -- both OK (the is OK if the speaker presumes the listener has met girls previously)

     He easily gets distracted by other/ the other students. --  both OK (the is OK if the context is a class they are already talking about).

    Some girls are beautiful, others are just plain-looking. -- No the.

2.  Please check the box at /on the left on the computer. -- Both OK.  Of the computer?

3.  When do you use a singular noun after any?  Could you please give me some examples? --  Usually, some stress is required:  'I don't have any friend at all in Toledo'.

4.  Do you put a plural noun or a singular noun after any other? -- Same guideline as for #3 above.

5.  Are the following sentences correct?

     1. I invited him to come over. -- OK

     2. A: How are you gonna get here?   -- OK

        B:  I will drive a car over  -- OK    C:I will take a bus over. -- OK

     3.  He is going to move over/ over there. -- OK

      4.  Do you want me to walk you over? -- OK

Could you please explain to me how to use over here?  -- There is away from the speaker; here is near the speaker.   'Come over here so that I can hit you'.

 I'm also a little confused with when to use other or the other.. -- Use the when there is a specific or previously mentioned other; the rule is no different from that for the alone.
Mister Micawber
Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004
Yokohama
Veteran Member 30,788
'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.'
, ,
Related discussions
Davidrock65  +  218401 Fri, 21 Apr 06 01:26 PM

Thank you so much for answering my questions

So if someone says, "I want to move to SF."

Would it be ok if I ask, "When do you want to move over?"

I also got a question about over

Can I say, "Pass the book over to her?"

Thanks loads!
Davidrock65
Mister Micawber  +  218403 Fri, 21 Apr 06 01:33 PM

So if someone says, "I want to move to SF."  Would it be ok if I ask, "When do you want to move over?" -- No.  'Move' only.

Can I say, "Pass the book over to her?" -- OK.  Remember that 'over' has the meaning of distance, and only when it is significant to the situation.
Mister Micawber
Davidrock65  +  218406 Fri, 21 Apr 06 01:55 PM
 Mister Micawber wrote:

So if someone says, "I want to move to SF."  Would it be ok if I ask, "When do you want to move over?" -- No.  'Move' only.

Can I say, "Pass the book over to her?" -- OK.  Remember that 'over' has the meaning of distance, and only when it is significant to the situation.



1. Over has the meaning of distance, so why can't I say ,"when do you want to move over?"

2. According to what you said, if the person is sitting near or close to me, I cannot say," pass the book over to her/him," right?

Thank you for being so patient answering my questions.
Davidrock65
Mister Micawber  +  218423 Fri, 21 Apr 06 02:59 PM

1-- We don't use over because the distance is not germane to the context-- of course, one city is distant from another city, but this fact does not have to be communicated.

2-- 'Cannot say' is the wrong viewpoint:  you can say anything you wish.  A native speaker would probably not use over if the listener and the book recipient were near each other.
Mister Micawber
Grammar Geek  +  218430 Fri, 21 Apr 06 03:08 PM

Let me add one more use, from the vantage of a mother: Hand that over to your sister this instant! (When child A has taken something that belongs to child B.)

The phrase "hand over" means to relinquish, to give to someone else. So you might hear "hand over that book" even if the two people invovled are seated right next to each other. I can't immediately think of other "over" phrases where the distance or relative positioning isn't a factor.  
Grammar Geek
Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006
Veteran Member 19,660
Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random!
Welcome to Englishforums.com, the world's largest EFL / TEFL social network.

Places to start

Browse Englishforums

© MediaCet Ltd. 2009, v5.0.3607.32596. All content posted by our users is a contribution to the public domain, this does not include imported usenet posts.*
For web related enquires please contact us on webmaster@mediacet.com, status updates are available at status.mediacet.com.
*Usenet post removal: Use 'X-No-Archive'. You may not have understood that your posts would end up in the public domain. Please send proof of the poster's email, we will remove immediately.