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Subject:including "and so on" in a "such as" list ... From:"Monique Semp" <monique -dot- semp -at- earthlink -dot- net> To:"TechWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Fri, 4 Dec 2015 08:11:40 -0800
Hello, WR-L-ers,
I know (?) that itâs incorrect to end a list preceded by âsuch asâ with âand so on.â After all, the âsuch asâ list, by definition, doesnât include the complete list of possibilities. But Iâve had more than one reviewer want to include âetc.â so that itâs explicitly stated and doubly-clear that not everything is included in the list.
By way of example: âBe careful when approaching wild animals, such as wildebeests, unicorns, elephants, and so onâ, instead of the correct form, âBe careful when approaching wild animals, such as wildebeests, unicorns, and elephants.â
How awful is it to include the âand so onâ to make sure that the sentence is clear for readers who arenât likely to notice/know the rule about âsuch asâ vs. âthat isâ (e.g., vs. i.e.)?
-Monique
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