Common Mistakes : Alternate

Alternate – Adjective

BAD: We decided to make alternate arrangements in case the hotel was fully booked

GOOD: We decided to make alternative arrangements in case the hotel was fully booked

In British English alternate and alternative have different meanings

alternate = (1) happening in turn, first one then the other: ‘alternate periods of sun and rain’ (2) every second (day, week, etc): ‘Our local football team plays at home on alternate Saturdays

alternative = that may be used instead of the usual one or the one you had planned to use: In view of the roadworks, motorists are advised to use an alternative route

.In American English alternate is used with the same meaning as alternative