1

We know that "every other" means not each one in a series, but every two.

For instance:

The conference used to be held every year, but now it takes place every other year.

But can we say for example:

  1. The Olympic games take place every other four years.
  2. That event takes place every other several years.

Dictionaries unfortunately, do not give me enough information on this phrase.

Improve this question
7
  • 1
    The Olympic games takes place every four years.
    – Weather Vane
    Jun 3, 2019 at 8:26
  • 1
    @WeatherVane Or "every fourth year" but your version is definitely the more common. "Every other four years" is wrong.
    – TypeIA
    Jun 3, 2019 at 8:33
  • 1
    In the second case, "every few years".
    – Weather Vane
    Jun 3, 2019 at 8:35
  • takes place ?
    – user96060
    Jun 3, 2019 at 9:05
  • 1
    The reason it doesn't work is that every other refers to something that alternates - so every other four years would mean every eighth year. As @Smock has pointed out, it would be very a strange way of saying that (!) - so much so that most people would assume the speaker really meant every four years. I don't think it's ungrammatical per se though.
    – user96060
    Jun 3, 2019 at 11:22

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
3

Absolutely not. Your construction is just about understandable, but you are mixing two different 'measures'.

"Every other [event]" always means "Every second [event]" so you cannot mix it with a specific number, though most native speakers would assume that the specific number was what was intended.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .