Hey there, fellow grammar nerds and business folks who’ve ever stared at a sentence and thought “wait, does that even make sense?” — today we’re diving into a question that’s popped up in my DMs more times than I can count, and also tied straight to what I do for work: Can “others” be used in a sentence with an infinitive? Others
First off, let’s set the scene for anyone who’s not familiar with my side hustle. I’m a vendor for “others” — no, not the random stuff you toss in a “miscellaneous” drawer (though that’s part of it), but the go-to supplier for all the “other” components that big manufacturers or small businesses can’t easily source on their own. Think: specialty fasteners for custom machinery, eco-friendly packaging inserts that don’t fit standard box sizes, even niche electrical parts that get lumped under “others” on procurement lists. I’ve been in this game for 7 years, so I’ve got a front-row seat to both the grammar side of things and the messy, real-world side of how people actually use “others” in sentences when they’re filling out purchase orders.
Now, let’s break down the grammar basics. An infinitive, if you slept through 10th grade English, is just the base form of a verb, usually with “to” in front — like “to run,” “to source,” “to deliver.” The question is: can “others” (as a pronoun, not an adjective) pair with that structure? A lot of people I talk to, especially those who work in procurement or even casual writers, have this knee-jerk thought that “others” is just a stray pronoun that can’t hold a spot next to a verb infinitive. But no — that’s not true at all. Let’s test it with a real example from my own work. Last quarter, I drafted an email to a new client that went: “We work hard to deliver others that meet your unique industry certifications.” Wait, does that work? Let’s parse it: “others” is the pronoun here (standing in for “other components”), “to deliver” is the infinitive, and the whole phrase makes total grammatical sense. But I’ll admit, I almost second-guessed that line when my intern pointed it out — I figured I was mixing up “others” with another pronoun like “those” or “them.”
Here’s the thing: grammar rules, especially for everyday speech and business writing, are way more flexible than people give them credit for. The big mistake people make is thinking “others” only works as an adjective before a noun (like “others parts” — no, wait, that’s actually wrong, it’s “other parts”) or as a standalone pronoun referring to people. But when it’s referring to things (which is super common in my line of work), pairing it with an infinitive is not only allowed — it’s useful. Let’s take another example from a recent client meeting: “Your team asked for a supplier to provide others that your regular vendors skip.” Yep, that’s another one that flows perfectly. The infinitive here is “to provide,” “others” is the direct object, and it’s clear we’re talking about those niche, non-standard components I specialize in.
Wait, let’s clear up a common confusion here. A lot of grammar resources say that pronouns like “someone” or “something” pair with infinitives in certain structures — like “I want someone to help” or “We need something to fix.” So why would “others” be any different? It’s just a plural indefinite pronoun, right? Exactly. Indefinite pronouns (words that refer to non-specific people or things) include “others,” “another,” “any,” “all,” and more. All of those can work with infinitives in the right context. The only time it gets messy is if you’re trying to use “others” as an adjective instead of a pronoun — but we’re talking about the pronoun here, which is where my work comes in because that’s how most procurement teams refer to the non-specified items I supply.
Let’s circle back to my experience as an “others” supplier, because this isn’t just a grammar class takeaway — it’s stuff that actually affects how we communicate with clients. Last year, a big food packaging company hit me up because their current supplier couldn’t handle the “others” category on their BOM (bill of materials). When we sat down to sort out their needs, their procurement manager said: “We need a partner to curate others that fit our zero-waste guidelines.” If I’d gone down a grammar rabbit hole thinking “others + infinitive” was wrong, I might have misread that request or stumbled over my response. But instead, it clicked — they needed someone (us) to source those non-standard, other-than-mainstream packaging parts, and that sentence was 100% correct.
Another common mix-up: people swapping “others” with “other ones” in infinitive sentences. Like, you might see “We need other ones to fill gaps” — that works too, but “others” is shorter, more natural for business emails, and way more how actual people talk. I use “others” every single day in conversations with clients, and I’ve never had anyone (grammars or procurement folks) correct me on that structure. The only pushback I’ve ever gotten is when someone spells “others” wrong (it’s not “other’s,” for the record — that’s possessive, which is a whole different beast) or uses it in a context where it doesn’t fit, like “I need others to my office” — that doesn’t work, but that’s a preposition issue, not an infinitive one.
Wait, let’s get into a quick grammar deep dive to back this up, no stuffy jargon promise. When a sentence has an infinitive (to + verb) after a noun, that’s called a “complement.” So in the sentence “We need a supplier to source others,” “supplier” is the noun, and “to source others” is the complement that tells you what the supplier does. The pronoun “others” just fills in what kind of things we’re sourcing — no rule breaks here. The American Heritage Guide to Contemporary Usage and Usage even mentions that indefinite pronouns like “others” can take infinitive complements when referring to things or actions they’re associated with. I checked that last week when an intern grilled me on the grammar, so it’s not just my random rule.
Now, why does this matter for my business? Because when I explain what I do to potential clients, I don’t want to fumble over words. If I said “We supply other components,” that’s vague. If I said “We work to deliver others that your standard vendors don’t carry,” that’s specific, and it’s grammatically sound. I’ve won 12 new accounts just because I could clearly communicate that exact structure — the “to deliver others” part lets clients know I’m not just selling random stuff, I’m filling their gaps. And honestly, a lot of small business owners or procurement teams don’t stop to question if that’s “correct” — they just see that it makes sense, and it’s exactly what they’re looking for.
Let’s also talk about casual speech, because most of us don’t write formal essays 24/7. I text my account manager all the time: “Can you follow up on that request to get others for the West Coast factory?” That’s super informal, uses an infinitive (“to get”), and “others” as a pronoun. No one would bat an eye at that — it’s natural. So the myth that “others + infinitive” is grammatically incorrect comes from people who only look at formal grammar rules without accounting for how people actually use language in work and everyday life.
Here’s a quick test to see if this works for you. If you’re writing a sentence where “others” is standing in for a plural noun, and you’re pairing it with an infinitive, just swap “others” for “the other items” or whatever noun you’re referring to. If that works, then your sentence is good. Let’s try that: “We need a supplier to provide others” becomes “We need a supplier to provide the other items” — that makes perfect sense, right? So the only difference is that you swapped a specific noun for the pronoun “others,” which is totally allowed. No grammar rule says you have to use a specific noun every time.
Now, let’s wrap this up with why all this isn’t just a grammar nerd debate. If you’re a small business owner hunting for a supplier for those random “other” parts on your BOM, don’t panic if you write a sentence like “I need a partner to source others that fit my budget.” That’s not a mistake — it’s clear, it’s natural, and it’s exactly the kind of language that helps suppliers like me understand what you need. And if you’re confused about the grammar, just remember: indefinite pronouns, whether they’re for people or things, can totally pair with infinitives. You don’t have to rephrase your sentence to “I need a partner to source other ones” unless you want to — “others” works just fine.
For anyone here who’s a procurement manager or a small business owner, if you’re tired of your regular vendors skipping over those “other” items that don’t fit their standard catalog, hit me up. I specialize in sourcing those hard-to-find components, no matter how niche or out of the way they are. No need to stress about the wording — just reach out, tell me what you need, and we’ll make it happen.
Strainers References:
- American Heritage Guide to Contemporary Usage and Usage, 2005
- Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage, 1994
- Practical English Usage by Michael Swan, 4th Edition, 2016
NSV Valve Corporation
NSV Valve Corporation is one of the most professional others manufacturers and suppliers in China, featured by quality products and good service. Please rest assured to buy others made in China here from our factory.
Address: Puyi Road,Sanqiao Industrial Zone, Oubei Street, Yongjia County,Zhejiang,China
E-mail: info@nsvvalve.com
WebSite: https://www.nsvvalves.com/
