every other item

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "every other item" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to alternating items in a sequence, indicating that you are considering every second item. Example: "In the list of tasks, I will complete every other item to manage my time effectively."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

9 human-written examples

It and every other item on the platter may tempt you to make an entire meal of bread, cheese, cured meat — and wine.

The New York Times

The Terence Conran Shop will offer 15percentt off custom-ordered sofas and almost every other item in the store on Thursday, June 19th, from 6 30 to 9 p.m. 6.

The New York Times

Your trust in every other item in the paper is destabilised: you think, if they can get that wrong what am I to make of these "truths" about Iraq, about Palestine, about..

The Guardian - Books

Manufacturers large and small -- the makers of packaged food, beauty products, beverages, toys, cleaning agents, cameras, clothing and just about every other item that fills the shelves at Wal-Mart's 2,200 discount stores around the country -- are stampeding into the Bentonville area where Wal-Mart Stores, the nation's largest company with revenue of $218 billion last year, is based.

The New York Times

After the learning step, we compare each item with every other item to find the most similar ones.

Computational Social Networks

Now the Senate rules empower him to limit the scope of health care reform, tax policy, and just about every other item on the Democratic agenda.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

They outsell every other apparel item by miles.

The New York Times

And they have more freedom to choose among telephones, TV shows, toothpastes, reading matter, news outlets, and nearly every other consumer item you can think of.

The New Yorker

It treats investment spending the same way every other budgetary item is treated – as if it were consumption with no long-lasting benefits for the nation.

The New York Times

"When I saw that they wanted to charge us $1,000 for consulting and strategy on Google Alerts, something we had done in 10 minutes, I started to question every other line item in the proposal," said Holly Harper, Advanced Comfort's communication director.

The New York Times

Well, along with its free iPhone app, Fownd sells tags that you can add to your keys, cameras, flip phones, and just about every other important item that can go missing.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When providing instructions, use "every other item" to clearly indicate a pattern of selection, like "Click every other item in the list."

Common error

Avoid using "every other item" when the items aren't in a clear sequence. For example, don't say "Every other item in the room was blue" if the items aren't arranged in a specific order. Use "some items" or "many items" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "every other item" functions as a determiner phrase, specifying which items are being referred to. It modifies a noun and indicates a selection pattern where items are chosen in an alternating sequence. As noted by Ludwig, this usage is grammatically sound.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Wiki

25%

Science

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "every other item" is a grammatically correct and relatively common way to describe a pattern of alternating selection. Ludwig AI confirms its validity and usability. Its typical use cases include giving instructions or describing patterns in a variety of contexts ranging from news and media to scientific publications and how-to guides. When using this phrase, ensure the elements being selected are clearly sequential to avoid ambiguity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

every second item

Uses a numerical descriptor to specify the frequency of selection.

alternate items

Focuses on the act of alternating between items, omitting the 'every' and 'other'.

select items in an alternating pattern

Emphasizes the alternating nature of the selection.

items at intervals of two

Describes the spacing between selected items more explicitly.

choose items with a gap of one

Highlights the presence of a gap between chosen items.

skip one item between each selection

Highlights the act of skipping an item in the selection process.

take items with one item skipped

Focuses on taking items with a skipping pattern.

items selected intermittently

Replaces the explicit pattern with a more general term for occasional selection.

odd-numbered items

Assigns items to numeric positions and selects them based on that

even-numbered items

Assigns items to numeric positions and selects them based on that

FAQs

How do I use "every other item" in a sentence?

Use "every other item" to indicate a pattern where you select or consider one item, skip the next, and repeat. For example: "In the list of tasks, I will complete "every other item"."

What can I say instead of "every other item"?

You can use alternatives like "every second item", "alternate items", or specify the interval more explicitly, depending on the context.

Is it grammatically correct to use "every other item"?

Yes, "every other item" is grammatically correct and widely used in English to indicate a specific selection pattern.

What's the difference between "every other item" and "some items"?

"Every other item" indicates a precise, alternating selection pattern. "Some items" implies an unspecified selection, without a defined pattern.