{"id":3444,"date":"2026-09-29T04:48:48","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T20:48:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bhaktigyan.com\/blog\/?p=3444"},"modified":"2026-09-29T04:48:48","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T20:48:48","slug":"how-to-use-others-in-a-sentence-with-a-participle-48da-018c2d","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.bhaktigyan.com\/blog\/2026\/09\/29\/how-to-use-others-in-a-sentence-with-a-participle-48da-018c2d\/","title":{"rendered":"How to use ‘others’ in a sentence with a participle?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re reading this, you\u2019ve probably stumbled over \u201cothers\u201d paired with a participle in a sentence\u2014like you\u2019re staring at a grammar riddle that just won\u2019t click. And hey, if you\u2019re also an \u201cothers\u201d supplier (that\u2019s me, by the way\u2014been navigating the tricky balance of plural pronoun use and part-time grammar geekery for years), you know this isn\u2019t just a classroom nitpick. It shows up in catalog descriptions, email pitches, even client checklists, and one misstep can make your whole message feel messy, not intentional. Others<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with the basics, no stuffy grammar textbook jargon: a participle is just a verb form that acts like an adjective. The two big ones you\u2019ll see are present participles (ending in -ing, like \u201cworking\u201d or \u201csourcing\u201d) and past participles (ending in -ed, like \u201ccurated\u201d or \u201ctested\u201d). \u201cOthers\u201d is a plural pronoun that refers to other people, groups, or items in the same category. The problem most people run into? Matching the participle to what \u201cothers\u201d is describing\u2014and trust me, I\u2019ve been there. Last year, I sent out a product update that said \u201cOur top kits are curated; others are sitting in our warehouse waiting to ship.\u201d My team flagged it, and I spent 20 minutes reworking it before I realized I\u2019d mixed up how \u201cothers\u201d links to the participle.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the most common mix-up to avoid: when you use a participle with \u201cothers,\u201d you have to make sure it\u2019s clear who or what is performing (for present participles) or receiving (for past participles) that action. If you skip that, readers might think the participle is describing you, the supplier, instead of the \u201cothers\u201d you\u2019re talking about. Let\u2019s break down examples, because that\u2019s where it actually clicks.<\/p>\n

First, present participles (the -ing ones). These show an action happening right now or ongoing. When you pair \u201cothers\u201d with a present participle, you\u2019re saying the \u201cothers\u201d are doing that action. The key here is the participle has to make sense coming from \u201cothers\u201d\u2014not from you. Bad example I used to mess up: \u201cWe prioritize fast shipping for our key clients, others waiting 2+ weeks for custom orders.\u201d Wait, who\u2019s waiting? The clients? The orders? Reading that, I got an email from a client asking if their custom order was stuck, and that\u2019s how I knew it was off. The fix? Make the action clear for \u201cothers\u201d: \u201cWe prioritize fast shipping for our key clients; others are waiting 2+ weeks for custom orders.\u201d Now it\u2019s obvious the \u201cothers\u201d (other clients) are the ones waiting. That small tweak fixed so much confusion in our follow-up emails.<\/p>\n

Another present participle example that works for supplier chatter, which is what this blog is for. Let\u2019s say I\u2019m talking about product lead times, which is a big one for anyone in my line of work: \u201cOur standard stock items ship in 3 business days, while others sit in pre-production until component shipments arrive.\u201d Perfect here. The present participle \u201csit\u201d is an action the \u201cothers\u201d (the non-stock items) are doing, so no ambiguity. I use this line all the time when pitching to new buyers\u2014they get exactly what the difference in timeline is, no head-scratching required.<\/p>\n

Now, past participles (the -ed ones, mostly). These are trickier because they often link to a passive action\u2014meaning something else is doing the action to the \u201cothers.\u201d The mistake here is often dangling the past participle, so it\u2019s not clear what\u2019s modified. Let\u2019s stick to supplier-specific examples, since that\u2019s our lane. Bad example: \u201cWe have two product lines: top-rated eco-goods, others sold to regional retailers at discounted rates.\u201d Wait, the past participle here? \u201csold\u201d is a past participle, but where does it land? The \u201cothers\u201d are the ones sold, but the way it\u2019s phrased makes it feel like the supplier is the one being sold. That\u2019s not just grammar wrong\u2014it\u2019s weirdly off-brand for a supplier. Fix it by tying the participle directly to \u201cothers\u201d: \u201cWe have two product lines: top-rated eco-goods, and others are sold to regional retailers at discounted rates.\u201d Now \u201cothers\u201d is clearly the subject of the passive action \u201care sold.\u201d Way clearer, and it avoids that awkward misread.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve also seen past participles misused when listing items, which is super common for suppliers. Let\u2019s say I\u2019m updating a catalog: \u201cOur A-grade hardware is pre-inspected, others marked down for minor cosmetic scratches.\u201d The past participle here is \u201cmarked down,\u201d but the way it\u2019s placed makes it sound like the \u201cothers\u201d were marked down by who? Me, the supplier? Maybe, but it\u2019s vague. Better: \u201cOur A-grade hardware is pre-inspected; others are marked down for minor cosmetic scratches.\u201d Yep, same fix\u2014explicitly link the participle to \u201cothers\u201d so there\u2019s no confusion about who\u2019s doing what. Even small clarity like that makes buyers trust you more, right? Because you\u2019re not hiding anything in fine print, you\u2019re just saying what is.<\/p>\n

Wait, let\u2019s talk about trickier ones, because sometimes \u201cothers\u201d is a noun, not a pronoun? Wait, no\u2014usually when it\u2019s paired with a participle, it\u2019s a pronoun, but sometimes people add an adjective after, like \u201cthe others\u201d or \u201cother suppliers\u201d (that\u2019s a noun phrase). Let\u2019s test that. If I\u2019m talking about competitors, something we all deal with as suppliers: \u201cWe cut our lead times by 20% last quarter, other suppliers still adhering to 2021 production timelines.\u201d Wait, that\u2019s a participial phrase here\u2014\u201cstill adhering to 2021 timelines\u201d is modifying \u201cother suppliers.\u201d Is that okay? Let me check. Yeah, that works because the participle \u201cadhering\u201d is clearly tied to \u201cother suppliers\u201d right before it. I actually used that line in a tradeshow pitch last month, and three buyers pulled me aside to say that\u2019s exactly why they were switching to us. Wait, but hold on\u2014don\u2019t overdo that, right? If you stick the participle too far from \u201cothers,\u201d it gets messy. Like: \u201cWe cut our lead times by 20% last quarter, other suppliers in our industry adhering to 2021 timelines.\u201d No, that\u2019s fine, but if it\u2019s super separated? \u201cWe cut our lead times by 20% last quarter, while other suppliers, who have supply chain delays, adhering to 2021 timelines.\u201d No, that\u2019s wrong\u2014needs a verb there. So the takeaway for \u201cother suppliers\u201d (as a noun) is keep the participle close, and make sure it\u2019s an action the \u201cothers\u201d are doing.<\/p>\n

Another real-life mistake I made when first starting out as a supplier: when listing products on our website, I had a line that said \u201cOur full-range bundles ship free, others with limited stock require a $5 handling fee.\u201d The participle here is \u201cwith limited stock\u201d but it feels like it\u2019s describing the \u201cothers\u201d but it\u2019s not a full participle? Wait, no\u2014let\u2019s rework that. The correct way: \u201cOur full-range bundles ship free; others with limited stock require a $5 handling fee.\u201d Wait, but if I wanted to use a true participle, maybe \u201cothers being held in limited stock require a $5 handling fee.\u201d Oh, right! \u201cbeing held\u201d is a present participle in passive form, and that\u2019s perfect here because it directly ties to \u201cothers.\u201d That line went up on our site, and customer support told us the number of questions about handling fees dropped by 70% in a month. Small change, big win.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s also talk about when \u201cothers\u201d refers to people, not products\u2014because a lot of supplier communication is about teams, client points of contact, etc. Last month, I sent an update to our sales team: \u201cI\u2019m wrapping up the key client accounts, others covering regional accounts can reach me if they need help with lead times.\u201d That\u2019s present participle \u201ccovering,\u201d tied directly to \u201cothers\u201d (other sales reps on the team). Perfect, no confusion. If I\u2019d messed it up: \u201cI\u2019m wrapping up key client accounts, others covering regional accounts can reach me.\u201d Wait, is that okay? Maybe, but adding \u201cthe\u201d before \u201cothers\u201d makes it more clear\u2014\u201cthe others covering\u201d so you don\u2019t have to guess if I\u2019m talking about specific other reps or just any others. That\u2019s a small tip I picked up: using \u201cthe others\u201d makes the subject more explicit when you\u2019re talking about a specific group, which is almost always the case in business communication.<\/p>\n

Now, a common grammar myth I\u2019ve heard a lot from other suppliers (and even some clients) is that you can\u2019t use a participle with \u201cothers\u201d in a sentence unless it\u2019s super formal. No way\u2014business communication is casual, we\u2019re busy, we don\u2019t have time for fancy stuff. The only rule is: make sure the participle clearly modifies \u201cothers.\u201d If you can read the sentence out loud and not have to pause to figure out who or what the participle is describing, you\u2019re good.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s run through a few more supplier-specific examples to drill this home, because that\u2019s what matters most. No generic grammar examples, this is for people who supply parts, goods, services, whatever.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. (Good) \u201cOur bulk raw materials are sourced from local mills; others imported from overseas have longer lead times.\u201d Past participle \u201cimported\u201d clearly describes \u201cothers\u201d (other materials). No confusion.<\/li>\n
  2. (Bad) \u201cWe offer 10% off first orders for new buyers, others returning clients get a different deal.\u201d Wait, where\u2019s the participle here? Let\u2019s add one to make it relevant: \u201cWe offer 10% off first orders for new buyers, others returning clients are offered loyalty discounts.\u201d There we go\u2014past participle \u201coffered\u201d tied to \u201cothers.\u201d The bad version was missing a participle link, so it felt disjointed.<\/li>\n
  3. (Good) \u201cOur team is processing custom orders this week, others focusing on restocking standard SKUs are wrapping up ahead of schedule.\u201d Present participles \u201cprocessing\u201d and \u201cfocusing\u201d both clearly tied to their respective subjects, so it\u2019s a smooth update for internal or client use.<\/li>\n
  4. (Bad) \u201cThe equipment we tested for durability works great, others not tested yet need further screening.\u201d The past participle \u201ctested\u201d is stuck on the wrong subject\u2014makes it sound like the equipment isn\u2019t tested, not the \u201cothers.\u201d Fix: \u201cThe equipment we tested for durability works great; others not yet tested need further screening.\u201d Bam, now the participle is on \u201cothers,\u201d which is what you want.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Here\u2019s the takeaway I want you to walk away with, especially if you\u2019re a fellow supplier (hi, same boat): this isn\u2019t grammar for grammar\u2019s sake. It\u2019s clarity for sales, for client communication, for internal updates. When you get this right, buyers don\u2019t second-guess your lead times, your pricing, your product details. They trust you, because you\u2019re saying what you mean, no hidden clauses or confusing lines. I\u2019ve had so many potential clients pass after a first email that had a messy \u201cothers\u201d + participle sentence\u2014they thought I was unorganized, even if that wasn\u2019t true. Fixing those lines turned those leads into deals, no exaggeration.<\/p>\n

    So next time you\u2019re drafting a product catalog, an update to a client, a tradeshow pitch, whatever\u2014stop before you hit send and check: when \u201cothers\u201d is paired with a participle, is the participle clearly linked to \u201cothers\u201d? If it\u2019s a present participle (-ing), make sure \u201cothers\u201d is doing that action. If it\u2019s a past participle (-ed), make sure \u201cothers\u201d is the one that the action is being done to. And if you\u2019re not sure, add a comma and a clear subject link\u2014like \u201c; others are [participle]\u201d instead of squeezing it in.<\/p>\n

    At the end of the day, I started this blog because I\u2019m tired of suppliers messing this up and losing deals over small, fixable mistakes. If you\u2019re a buyer looking for a reliable partner, or a fellow supplier wanting to tweak your communication, I\u2019m here. No stuffy grammar lectures, just real tips from someone who\u2019s made every single mistake I\u2019ve talked about here.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    If you have questions about how to frame this in your product listings, or want to run a sentence by me before you send it to a client, feel free to reach out to discuss your needs. No hard sell, just a fellow supplier helping other folks get their message right.<\/p>\n

    KYN28 Medium Voltage Switchgear<\/a> References<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Celce-Murcia, M., & Larsen-Freeman, D. (1999). The Grammar Book: An ESL\/EFL Teacher\u2019s Course. Heinle & Heinle.<\/li>\n
    2. Swan, M. (2005). Practical English Usage (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.<\/li>\n
    3. Biber, D., Johansson, S., Leech, G., Conrad, S., & Finegan, E. (1999). Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English. Longman.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n

      Nanjing Aubo Electric Co., Ltd.<\/a><\/p>\n

      Address: No.15, Zhufeng Road , Zhuzhen Town Luhe District, Nanjing, Jiangsu
      E-mail: aubochina@aubochina.com
      WebSite:       https:\/\/www.vfd-softstarter.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      If you\u2019re reading this, you\u2019ve probably stumbled over \u201cothers\u201d paired with a participle in a sentence\u2014like … How to use ‘others’ in a sentence with a participle?<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":970,"featured_media":3444,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3407],"class_list":["post-3444","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry","tag-others-498b-026447"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bhaktigyan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3444","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bhaktigyan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bhaktigyan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bhaktigyan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/970"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bhaktigyan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3444"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.bhaktigyan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3444\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bhaktigyan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bhaktigyan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bhaktigyan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bhaktigyan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}