{"id":625,"date":"2026-10-22T02:08:38","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T18:08:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cooknests.com\/blog\/?p=625"},"modified":"2026-10-22T02:08:38","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T18:08:38","slug":"how-to-use-others-in-a-participial-phrase-452a-6e6452","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.cooknests.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/22\/how-to-use-others-in-a-participial-phrase-452a-6e6452\/","title":{"rendered":"How to use ‘others’ in a participial phrase?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve ever stared at a sentence like \u201cOthers being unaccounted for, we\u2019re still waiting on final numbers\u201d and wondered why \u201cothers\u201d is hanging out in a participial phrase, not just a regular noun, you\u2019re not alone. For years, I was one of those people who\u2019d fumble when I needed to write that kind of line for work\u2014until I realized, hey, I sell \u201cothers\u201d for a living. Wait, let me back that up: I\u2019m a supplier for what the industry calls \u201cother\u201d components, parts, and materials\u2014the stuff that doesn\u2019t fit into the big, named categories people usually order first. So I deal with \u201cothers\u201d every single day, not just grammatically. That mix of day-to-day work and messing up grammar in sales emails is why I get this topic. Let\u2019s break it down like I\u2019d explain it to a new client picking up a custom order, no stuffy textbook jargon. Others<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

First, let\u2019s start with the basics: what even is a participial phrase, anyway? If you\u2019ve never had to remember that high school term, it\u2019s just a phrase that starts with a participle\u2014\u201cbeing,\u201d \u201chaving,\u201d \u201cworking,\u201d those -ing words that act like verbs but link to something else. The whole phrase doesn\u2019t have its own subject, usually? No, wait\u2014sometimes it does. That\u2019s called a nominative absolute, if you want the fancy name, but let\u2019s just call it \u201ca phrase where the subject is clear, even if it\u2019s not in the main sentence.\u201d That\u2019s where \u201cothers\u201d comes in, most of the time. Let\u2019s use my actual work as an example. Last month, a client emailed asking for 500 units of custom industrial sensors, but they left off the \u201cother\u201d components they needed to package them\u2014like wiring harnesses, mounting brackets, small fasteners. In a follow-up email, I wrote: \u201cOthers being unknown as of yet, can you send over a breakdown of what complementary parts you\u2019ll need to pair with these sensors?\u201d That\u2019s not a mistake. The main sentence is \u201ccan you send over a breakdown\u2026\u201d and the \u201cothers being unknown\u2026\u201d part is a separate little phrase that tells the context of the request. If I\u2019d tried to make it a regular sentence, it\u2019d be \u201cOthers are unknown as of yet, so can you send over a breakdown\u2026\u201d But using the participial phrase makes it flow way better\u2014less clunky, more natural for a work email, not like I\u2019m talking like a robot.<\/p>\n

Now, here\u2019s the thing most people mess up when using \u201cothers\u201d in these phrases: they leave the subject out, which makes it confusing. Let\u2019s say you try to write \u201cOthers unaccounted for, total inventory is short.\u201d Wait, that works! Wait, no\u2014wait, let\u2019s test a bad one. If you wrote \u201cUnaccounted for, total inventory is short,\u201d that would make it sound like total inventory is the thing that\u2019s unaccounted for, right? That\u2019s a misplaced modifier. You can\u2019t just drop the \u201cothers\u201d there, because the main subject is \u201ctotal inventory.\u201d So when you\u2019re using \u201cothers\u201d in a participial phrase, you\u2019ve got to make sure \u201cothers\u201d is the subject of that phrase. That\u2019s the key rule I\u2019ve learned from both grammar and sales: if you\u2019re talking about a group that\u2019s separate from the main thing in your sentence, name that group as the subject of the participial phrase\u2014here, that\u2019s \u201cothers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Let me give another example from my work to make it real. A few weeks back, a retail client was restocking their store\u2019s tech section, and they ordered 2,000 wireless chargers. But they forgot to mention the \u201cother\u201d accessories for the chargers\u2014like screen protectors, car mounts, portable power banks. When I followed up, I sent: \u201cOthers not included in your initial order, we\u2019re reaching out to make sure you don\u2019t miss out on the add-ons that drive repeat sales.\u201d See how that works? The \u201cothers\u201d here is the subject of the participial phrase \u201cnot included\u2026\u201d\u2014it\u2019s the add-ons, separate from the 2,000 wireless chargers in the main sentence. If I\u2019d skipped \u201cothers\u201d and written \u201cNot included in your initial order, we\u2019re reaching out\u2026\u201d that would make it sound like I<\/em> (or my company) wasn\u2019t included in the order, which is totally wrong. Oops, that\u2019s a mistake I once made in a sales email early on, and I still laugh about it. Now I always double-check that I have \u201cothers\u201d as the subject in that phrase.<\/p>\n

But wait, \u201cothers\u201d isn\u2019t just one thing. Sometimes it\u2019s a group of parts, sometimes it\u2019s a set of tasks, or even a list of people. Let\u2019s get more specific with different scenarios, because that\u2019s what matters when you\u2019re actually using this (not just acing a grammar quiz).<\/p>\n

First scenario: When you\u2019re listing out a main group, and \u201cothers\u201d are the extra, unlisted items. This is the one I use most in my supplier work. Let\u2019s say I\u2019m sending a quote for a client who ordered 1,000 custom plastic containers. I\u2019ll write: \u201cContainers priced at $2 each, others (including lids, labels, and shipping) will be billed at a $0.50 per unit rate.\u201d Wait, that\u2019s perfect! The main sentence is \u201cothers will be billed\u2026\u201d and the participial phrase is \u201cincluding lids, labels, and shipping\u201d which tells you what the \u201cothers\u201d are. That\u2019s way clearer than splitting it into two separate sentences: \u201cContainers are priced at $2 each. Others include lids, labels, and shipping. They will be billed at $0.50 per unit.\u201d No one wants to read three boring sentences when one flows.<\/p>\n

Second scenario: When you\u2019re talking about a status update, especially in work or project planning. I get tons of update requests from clients who have mixed orders\u2014they\u2019ll buy a big bulk of a standard product, and the rest are custom \u201cother\u201d parts. Last week, a client sent this: \u201cStandard parts delivered on time, others still in production, target ship date is two weeks out.\u201d That\u2019s exactly the participial phrase I\u2019m talking about! The main part is \u201ctarget ship date is two weeks out,\u201d and the two little phrases at the start are participial. If you swapped that to a regular sentence: \u201cStandard parts are delivered on time, others are still in production, so target ship date is two weeks out.\u201d It works, but it\u2019s wordy. When you\u2019re sending quick updates (especially over Slack, which most people use now), using \u201cothers\u201d in a participial phrase makes your message short and to the point\u2014no one has time for run-on sentences.<\/p>\n

Now, what about common mistakes? I\u2019ve seen so many people mess this up, both in emails and even in product descriptions. Let\u2019s go over the big ones that trip people up, especially when \u201cothers\u201d is involved.<\/p>\n

Mistake 1: Forgetting \u201cothers\u201d entirely, which creates a misplaced modifier. Like I said earlier, writing \u201cNot included in the order, we\u2019re following up\u201d sounds like you\u2019re the one not included. Another example: \u201cMissing from the invoice, we\u2019ll send a corrected copy today.\u201d No, what\u2019s missing? The \u201cother\u201d line items on the invoice! So you\u2019ve got to name that group: \u201cOther line items missing from the invoice, we\u2019ll send a corrected copy today.\u201d That\u2019s the fix. I can\u2019t tell you how many times I\u2019ve had a client send that kind of message and get a confused reply like, \u201cWhy are you not included?\u201d Oops.<\/p>\n

Mistake 2: Using \u201cother\u201d instead of \u201cothers.\u201d Wait, that\u2019s a tiny typo, but it changes everything. Let\u2019s test: \u201cOther being unknown, we need more info.\u201d That doesn\u2019t make sense. \u201cOthers being unknown\u2026\u201d is the right one, because \u201cothers\u201d is plural\u2014you\u2019re talking about multiple items or people in that group. \u201cOther\u201d is singular, like \u201cother part,\u201d so if you use \u201cother\u201d here, it\u2019s like you\u2019re talking about one single other thing, which isn\u2019t usually what you mean. That\u2019s a easy typo to fix\u2014just double-check the number when you write.<\/p>\n

Mistake 3: Using the participial phrase when it\u2019s not needed, or when it doesn\u2019t match the main sentence\u2019s tense. Let\u2019s say you\u2019re talking about a past order: \u201cOthers being not received, we had to rush a replacement.\u201d Wait, that\u2019s okay, but sometimes \u201chaving been\u201d works better for past tense. Like: \u201cOthers having been not received, we had to rush a replacement.\u201d That\u2019s more natural for past events, because the \u201cothers not being received\u201d happened before the replacement order. I used to mix those up all the time\u2014would write \u201cOthers being not received\u201d for a past event, and it sounded weird. A quick fix: if the action in the participial phrase happened before the main action, add \u201chaving\u201d before the participle. Easy enough.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s tie this back to why this matters for my life as an \u201cothers\u201d supplier. At the end of the day, I sell the parts, components, and materials that people call \u201cothers\u201d\u2014the stuff that doesn\u2019t fit into the standard catalog, the last-minute add-ons, the backup parts no one remembers to order until they\u2019re scrambling. When I write clear sentences with \u201cothers\u201d in participial phrases, I don\u2019t confuse clients, I don\u2019t get repeat questions about what I\u2019m talking about, and I can close deals faster. Last quarter, I had a client who almost went to a competitor because they misread a messy email that forgot the \u201cothers\u201d subject. I rewrote it with the correct participial phrase, they understood exactly what I meant, and they ended up ordering $12k worth of parts that week. That\u2019s not just grammar\u2014that\u2019s sales. That\u2019s the stuff that keeps my business running.<\/p>\n

Wait, let\u2019s give one more real client example to drive that home. Last month, a small electronics startup was putting together their first batch of new wearables. They ordered the main circuit boards from a big manufacturer, but they needed \u201cother\u201d parts like soft silicone bands, charging ports, and packaging inserts. They sent a note saying: \u201cCircuit boards en route, others still in mold production\u2014can you rush those to make our launch date?\u201d If they\u2019d written that wrong, like \u201cCircuit boards en route, still in mold production\u2026\u201d I would\u2019ve thought circuit boards<\/em> were still in production, which would\u2019ve messed up my timeline. But because they used \u201cothers\u201d as the subject of that participial phrase, it was crystal clear: the silicone bands, ports, and inserts (the \u201cothers\u201d) are the ones still being made. That\u2019s exactly what we\u2019re talking about here\u2014using \u201cothers\u201d in the phrase to make your meaning unambiguous.<\/p>\n

A few final quick tips for anyone who\u2019s still a little shaky on this: First, always ask: \u201cWhat\u2019s the group I\u2019m talking about that\u2019s separate from the main sentence?\u201d If the answer is multiple items or people, use \u201cothers\u201d as the subject of your participial phrase. Second, if you\u2019re writing about a past event, use \u201chaving been\u201d if the \u201cothers\u201d action happened before the main one. Third, read your sentence out loud\u2014if it sounds weird, it\u2019s probably missing \u201cothers\u201d or has the wrong tense. I do this all the time when I\u2019m drafting sales emails; if I stumble over the words when I say them, I go back and fix it.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, grammar isn\u2019t just about following rules\u2014it\u2019s about communicating clearly. And for my job as an Others supplier, that means making sure clients don\u2019t misinterpret what parts they need, don\u2019t miss out on orders, and don\u2019t go somewhere else because of a messy email. If you\u2019re ordering custom parts, backup components, or that random \u201cother\u201d stuff you can\u2019t find in big catalogs, we\u2019re here to make that part easy. If you\u2019ve got questions about how to write clear notes for your orders, or you need a quote for your next batch of \u201cothers\u201d components, hit us up to connect on your next procurement need. We\u2019re ready to help make your order as smooth as that participial phrase we talked about.<\/p>\n

Laparoscopic Forceps<\/a> References<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition, Section 5.204: Nominative Absolute Constructions<\/li>\n
  2. Merriam-Webster\u2019s Dictionary of English Usage, Entry for \u201cother\u201d vs. \u201cothers\u201d in Participial Contexts<\/li>\n
  3. Purdue OWL, Online Writing Lab Guide to Participial Phrases in Business Communication<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    Hangzhou Benzgum Medical Technology Co., Ltd.<\/a><\/p>\n

    Address: Room 708, 7th Floor, Building 4, Haichuang Technology Center, No. 1288 Wenyi West Road, Yuhang District, Hangzhou City
    E-mail: yang@surgicasupply.com
    WebSite:     https:\/\/www.surgicasupply.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    If you\u2019ve ever stared at a sentence like \u201cOthers being unaccounted for, we\u2019re still waiting on … How to use ‘others’ in a participial phrase?<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":346,"featured_media":625,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[588],"class_list":["post-625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry","tag-others-476c-6ef91c"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.cooknests.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/625","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.cooknests.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.cooknests.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.cooknests.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/346"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.cooknests.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=625"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.cooknests.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/625\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.cooknests.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.cooknests.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=625"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.cooknests.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=625"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.cooknests.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=625"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}