Agustín
I’m really confused about ‘such’, ‘such like’, and ‘suchlike’. Can I use them interchangeably both in speaking and writing? Or, on the contrary, is there any significant difference? Thanks in advance!
Dec 5, 2023 4:43 PM
Answers · 5
1
"suchlike" is the preferred spelling (I have not seen "such like"). However, I don't think I've ever used it, only read it. It is very formal, and usually sounds overly-formal to me even in formal writing. "Such" is way more common, and you might read it or hear it, depending on the speaker. In my own writing, I would use "etc." (Which is short for Latin et cetera, Pronounced et-set-er-ah; commonly pronounced ek-set-er-ah), at the end of the list or start the list with "such as" or "including". Other options for ending a list include "and the like", (slightly less formal and dated) "and [last item], among others". Sometimes you use two of these phrases together. E.g. With advancing technology, there are now a variety of means to communicate long-distance, including phone, email, social media, and video calls, among others. In speech, I might say "and such" at the end of a list. But I probably not. Instead, I might say "and so on", "and so forth", (or even "and so on and so forth" for extra emphasis), "... You get the gist", "and more", or I might just trail off.
December 7, 2023
1
Hi Agustín! I'm not sure about 'such like', do you mean 'such as'? Such can mean 'very'. We don't use 'very' often in spoken English, we prefer words like 'really', 'so' and 'such'. When we are describing a singular noun, the structure is slightly different from 'very', in the placement of indefinite article 'a'. - She is A very [adjective] [noun] --> She is such A [adjective] [noun]. - This is a very good book --> This is such a good book. When we are describing a plural noun (without an indefinite article), the structure is the same. - They are very good friends --> They are such good friends When the noun is qualitative/descriptive in and of itself, we don't need an adjective, but we follow the same structure as above. - I am an idiot --> I am such an idiot As for 'such as', this means 'for example' - I have many different ways to unwind (relax) after a long day, such as reading or watching a film. We can even use this in a question. - Person 1: I love black and white films - Person 2: Such as? (means 'give me an example') - Person 1: Schindler's List
December 6, 2023
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