What can etc be used for?

The abbreviation for etcetera is etc. When you start a list that you are not going to complete, it indicates that there are other elements in the list besides the ones you explicitly mention. Usually, in American English, if etc. is used in the middle of a sentence, it is followed by a comma.

However, if the word etc. appears at the end of a sentence, then the dot (which is part of etc.) On the other hand, if etc. or any other abbreviation that ends in a dot appears at the end of a question, then you must use both punctuation marks (etc., and so on, usually abbreviated, etc.) So et cetera literally means and the rest. It is the abbreviation of the Latin term etcetera, which means and the rest or other things like that.

People often make mistakes with, etc. They like all sports: running, playing tennis, swimming, etc. In the first example, the category of items on the list (sports) is specified. The second sentence doesn't define the category, but the things on the list make it clear that it refers to unhealthy foods.

Both uses of etc. don't work here because the link between the things listed isn't obvious enough. Media and similar things, so if the similarity isn't clear, you shouldn't wear it, etc. It's cold outside, so he put on his coat, hat, gloves, scarf, etc.

There's no need to, etc. In this sentence because readers would find it hard to think of anything to add to this list. Quentin Tarantino has directed some great movies, for example, it's redundant here because the use of, for example, The Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, etc.) If you're referring to a group of humans, you should use et al. We grow herbs in the garden: oregano, thyme, etc.

Do you want lettuce, cucumber, tomato, etc.? It is used to demonstrate that a list is not exhaustive. Because it means and other similar things, you should only use it when it's obvious to the reader what other things you could infer from the list. In addition, you should never use etc. if you have already indicated that the list is incomplete (for example, using, for example, or something like that).

Do not use the word “and” while using etc. in the middle of a sentence or at the end of a sentence. Since “et in “etcetera already means “and”, it would be redundant to use “y” with “etc. Never use “and when using “etc.” in a sentence.

Et cetera can be replaced by “and so on and “and so on. Writers can also use expressions such as “you understand the idea” and “I can continue to convey the same message”. When writing in a formal setting, such as a research paper, be careful with the use of etcetera. All authorized writing guides agree that, etc., it has no place in formal writing.

The Chicago Manual of Style states that, etc. It goes on to clarify that it is generally acceptable in notes, in parentheses, and in tables and lists. Bremner, in Words on Words, writes: “Use it informally, if you really must,” while Theodore M. Bernstein, in his book The Careful Writer, argues that the term “has no place in writing that has literary pretensions”.

A good rule of thumb regarding the proper use of etc. is to replace it with one of the synonyms mentioned above, “and so on” or “and so on. If the list makes sense, you can use etc.

Yolanda Eyman
Yolanda Eyman

Total organizer. Award-winning beer guru. Hipster-friendly pop culture aficionado. Award-winning music evangelist. Typical internet fan. Hardcore bacon fanatic.

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