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Ethereal Leonine Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

Other/ The other?

Hello, I was just browsing the net and, by fate, stumbled into this site. Glad to be a new participant of EnglishForward.com.

I am unsure about the usage of 'other' and 'the other' in particular sentences. A simple example:

The most popular domestic pets are canines. State the other kinds of pets.

OR

The most popular domestic pets are canines. State other kinds of pets.

Which of the questions has the correct usage of 'other/the other'?

Thank you for your time.
  

Top answer

Hello, Leonine-- we're glad you found us! The definite article the works in this situation just as it does with different nouns: it primarily indicates previous mention or specificity: State the other kinds of pets . -- rather hard to do; it seems to indicate a specific number of kinds, but we know that there are literally hundreds of different species of animals that are attached to chains or put in cages or aquaria for our entertainment.

  • Hello, Leonine-- we're glad you found us!
  • The definite article the works in this situation just as it does with different nouns: it primarily indicates previous mention or specificity: State the other kinds of pets .
  • -- rather hard to do; it seems to indicate a specific number of kinds, but we know that there are literally hundreds of different species of animals that are attached to chains or put in cages or aquaria for our entertainment.
  • State other kinds of pets .
  • -- much more expected form: it asks us to name just any unspecified alternative species, 3 or 30; this is a reasonable request.
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1 Answers
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Hello, Leonine-- we're glad you found us!

The definite article the works in this situation just as it does with different nouns: it primarily indicates previous mention or specificity:

State the other kinds of pets. -- rather hard to do; it seems to indicate a specific number of kinds, but we know that there are literally hundreds of different species

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