Mr.Maru: Hey Sparky, do you want to go for a walk?

Sparky: No, I can't leave. I need to stay here, otherwise I can get my mail today.

Mr.Maru: I see. You mean you need to stay here so you can get the mail? The post woman will probably just put it in the mailbox.

Sparky: If I stay here I'll be able to chase the post woman which is something I won't otherwise be able to do.

Mr.Maru: Please don't scare the post woman. We just got a new one after you attacked the other guy.

Sparky: Where am I going to get my house-guarding training? I have to get it somewhere.

How do you use otherwise in a sentence? What are some common phrases that use otherwise? Let's go over some examples and rules.

Otherwise as an adverb

Otherwise has the meaning of 'under other circumstances' or 'in another way'. For example,

It was a sad moment in his otherwise happy life.
It's a good thing Jenny is planning the wedding. It might be a disaster otherwise.

Otherwise as a conjunction

Otherwise can be extremely useful as a conjunction. It means 'or else' or 'if not'. We often use to for advice or precautions. For example,

Wear a heavy jacket, otherwise you might catch a cold.
Bring your camera, otherwise you won't be able to take pictures.

Otherwise as an adjective

Otherwise is also used as an adjective. It means 'other or different' or 'in different circumstances'. For example,

Japan lost the World Cup. I had hoped otherwise. (I had hoped they win.)
An otherwise firefighter became a small business owner. (Under circumstances the person would be a firefighter, but now he is a small business owner.)

Otherwise - use in legal terms

Otherwise is often brought up in legal phrases or legalese. One common phrase is 'except where otherwise noted'. This phrase is used in legal documents to give a broad statement about an agreement. For example,

You can use vuvuzelas to scare wild monkeys away... Except where otherwise noted, Vuvuzelas can not be used. (Vuvuzelas can only be used to scare wild monkeys away, other than that circumstance vuvuzelas can not be used.)

Do you think you understand? Let's take a short quiz.

1) Eat your vegetables, __________.

A) otherwise you got sick.

B) otherwise you will get sick.

C) otherwise you will have gotten sick.

2) That home run has hurt __________ game.

A) an otherwise perfect

B) an otherwise

C) otherwise

3) ________________, the bright orange hats have to be worn at all times.

A) accept where otherwise noted

B) except what otherwise noted

C) except where otherwise noted

Answers

1) B) – This is the best answer for giving advice and precautions

2) A) – We need to include 'perfect' for this sentence to make sense.
3) C) – The phrase used in legal documents is 'except where otherwise noted'.

Thanks for stopping by. Now it is your turn, can you give me some advice in the comments? Teachers or students are welcome to give it a shot!

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