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You might think that it’s easy to use et cetera, which translates to «and others» or, more literally, «and the other things», and is abbreviated as «etc.» Surely everyone knows how to use «etc.» correctly, right? Well, it’s not all straightforward––et cetera can be commonly misspelled, improperly punctuated and even mispronounced! The use of et cetera isn’t usually taught in schools or tutoring because it’s considered to be just an abbreviation. Regardless, it’s important to know how to use it properly. See Step 1 to get started.

Steps

1
Use «et cetera» to mean «and so forth» as well as «all items of the same class.» Et cetera is used as a short way to say, «and so forth», «and so on», or «and other things», and is also used to describe a list without listing everything.^[1] However, it’s important that the items in the list are of the same kind so that «etc.» does not confuse the reader.^[2]
- For example, you can say, «We could use cupcakes, cookies, etc.» This shows that they can use any kind of dessert, and it could be rewritten by, «We could use cupcakes, cookies, and so on.»
- However, you cannot say, «Bring hamburger buns, paper plates, cupcakes, etc.», because the items on the list are not the same and the person you’re talking to would not know what you are referring to.
- Items of the same class do not need to be physical items. They can be emotions, or other forms of «things.» For example, you could say, «Please write down your three primary emotions today (sadness, anger, fear, etc.)»
2

Do not use an introductory phrase for a list, such as «such as» or «for example,» along with etc. You cannot say, «Bring items such as cake, chocolates, ice cream, etc. to the party,» because «such as» already implies that you are not talking about a complete list. You can simply say, «Bring items such as cake, chocolates, and ice cream to the party» or «Bring cake, chocolates, ice cream, etc. to the party.»^[3]

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3

Do not use «etc.» more than once in a sentence. Though some people think it’s cute to use «etc.» more than once in a sentence to stress the fact that many additional items are needed, just one «etc.» will suffice. Saying something like, «I have to do the dishes, wash the car, clean my room, etc., etc., etc., before the party» is never correct.
4

Do not use «and» before «etc.» Since the «et» in «et cetera» already means «and,» it would be redundant to use the phrase «and etc.» because you’ll really be saying, «and and the rest.» Make sure to avoid using «and» when using «etc.»^[4]
5

Do not use «etc.» if you’re discussing a specific list of items that are needed and not anything more. If you only need cookies, cake, and donuts for the party, writing «cookies, cake, donuts, etc.» will not be appropriate because it will give the reader the assumption that he can bring another dessert.
6

Do not use «etc.» to refer to people. «Etc.» can only refer to things; «et al.» is used to refer to people. You cannot say, «I can’t help but get annoyed by my younger cousins – Mary, Joe, Sue, etc. – though I try to be nice to them.» Instead, you can say, «I can’t help but get annoyed by my younger cousins – Mary, Joe, Sue et al. – though I try to be nice to them.» In this example, you are using «et al.», which means «and others,» to refer to the other annoying younger cousins.^[5]
7
Use the correct spelling. You can write it either way, «Et Cetera», or «etc.» Some other versions of etc. include et caetera, et cœtera or et coetera, but its usual spelling can be etc. Remember exactly how it’s spelled, because when it’s misspelled, it can look very obvious. Don’t spell it, «ect» or «cet» or anything, although it can be spelled &e., &/c., or &ct. You don’t need to learn all of these spellings, but choose one that you can rely on to use.
- Be careful how you pronounce et cetera. If you’re in the habit of saying «ek-SET-ra», it’s time to kick out the «k» sound! The real pronunciation is «eht-SEHT-er-uh.»^[6]
8
Punctuate «etc.» correctly. At the end of «etc», there should be a period. (This does not apply if you are using modern «open punctuation», which dispenses with periods for eg, ie etc). That’s obvious, right? However, when you still have more to say in the sentence, you should put a comma after the period. If you are finished with the sentence, end with that period, don’t put anything else, but if you still have more to say, put a comma at the end and finish.^[7] For example:
- «They ate cookies, cakes, peanuts, fairy floss, etc., and it’s little wonder they ended up with stomach aches.»
9
Learn how to put in the punctuation around it. Yes, you should use a period and a comma, but when you also work with semicolons, question marks, and exclamation points, «etc.» can be confusing. Here are a few examples:
- Put a question mark after the period in «etc.»
- Put an exclamation point immediately after the period.
- Put the semicolon in right after the period and put a space between it and the next word.
- Put parentheses around the items you are using along with etc. when necessary. For example: «Students should not pack liquids in their carry-on bags (water, shampoo, makeup remover, etc.)»

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Question

Would you use «etc.» in a formal, literary context? Or would you prefer «and so on», «and so forth» or something similar?

In written usage generally, «etc.» is perfectly fine and it is also fine to write «and so on» and «and so forth». You may like to mix them up if a paragraph would be saying «etc.» too many times. In written dialogue, if a character were to say «etc.», spell it as «et cetera», for the full word is always spoken; people don’t actually say «etc.».
Question

Should there be period after «etc.» in the middle of sentence in parentheses?

Yes, there is always a period at the end of «etc.» no matter where it appears in a sentence.
Question

Can I use «including» with etc.?

Yes, if you say something like: Some animals are mammals, including polar bears, giraffes, elephants, kangaroos, etc.

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Use your best judgement when using et cetera. Sometimes, writing the words «and so on» or typing «…» can be more appropriate or may simply look better in the context.
Learn the other possibilities for saying the same thing as et cetera. You could say, «and so on», but you could also write «…». Whichever way you use, it will serve the same purpose and will work to convey the correct meaning.
According to William Strunk in the canonical text, The Elements of Style, «etc.» is «equivalent to and the rest, and so forth, and hence not to be used if one of these would be insufficient, that is, if the reader would be left in doubt as to any important particulars.» By this definition, you shouldn’t use «etc.» unless the person you’re addressing would know exactly which item or items you’re referring to, but most people today would find this definition a bit extreme. The objection here is that «etc.» is not precise enough, and should therefore be avoided.

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While the rule is not always observed, et cetera is usually used for things. For omission of a list of people, et alii, or et al. is preferred. The same punctuation rules apply, except that there is always a space in et al.

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Article SummaryX

To use «etc.» correctly, use it in instances where you would say «and so forth.» For example, if you are making a list of possible desserts and want to express that there could be more items than the ones you have listed, write «cakes, cupcakes, ice cream, etc.» Do not use «etc.» more than once and do not use «etc.» to refer to people. Try to avoid using «etc.» if you already have a comprehensive list and there is actually nothing to add. For more instances of when to use and when to avoid «etc.,» keep reading!

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Et cetera is a short Latin phrase which means “and the rest”. Et means ‘and’, cetera means ‘the rest’. The abbreviation of short phrase et cetera is etc. The use of abbreviation etc. is very common than the full phrase et cetera in both technical and business writing.

Many people are confused how to use etc. correctly in a sentence or how to pronounce etc. correctly. In this lesson you will learn the proper use of etc. in a sentence.

Etc. is always used for ‘so on’ and ‘other things’. If we have lot of thing in mind to tell or write then we use etc. with few words and replace other words by using etc. simply. It shows that there are other items in the sentence belonging to the same class.

Some basic rules for how to use etc. in a sentence

Here are some rules if you want to know that how to use etc. correctly in a sentence. These rules will help you to use etc. correctly in academic writing, business writing and technical writing.

Rule 1 (Use period after etc.)

In English writing, all the abbreviations are followed by period (full stop). Etc. is always followed by punctuation mark either in middle of a sentence or at the end of a sentence. If you are using it in middle of the sentence then you will put a period (full stop) and a comma after it (etc.,) to continue sentence and if it is enclosed in parentheses you will put only period (full stop) either in the middle of sentence or at the end of the sentence. If someone is using it at the end of sentence at that time, it will be followed by period (full stop) only.

(a) I asked Ali to bring cola, juice, mineral water, etc for tonight party. (Wrong sentence)

(b) I asked Ali to bring cola, juice, mineral water, etc., for tonight party. (Correct Sentence)

(d) I asked Ali to bring some items from mart (cola, juice, mineral water, etc.) for tonight party. (Correct Sentence)

Rule 2 (Do not use etc. with names of people)

Always keep one thing in your mind while using etc.; do not use it with the name of the people. This is the only exception where we cannot use etc. in a list of names of people.

“Et Alia” is a separate short Latin phrase which means ‘and others’ like ‘Et cetera’ (etc.). You can use “Et alia” (et al.) for the people. “Et al.” is most commonly used in a list of people, particularly in academic writing when referring to the authors of an academic publication.

(a) I met to Ali, Jam, Lizzy, Jany, Tom, etc. (Wrong sentence)

(b) I met to Ali, Jam, Lizzy, Jany, and Tom. (Correct sentence)

(d) Sajid, Jam, Ravi, et al., wrote a report on pollution. (Correct sentence)

Rule 3 (Use etc. for one-class items)

Always use it in one-class items; item in the list should be of same kind. When we use etc. in a sentence it means there are other items related to same class mentioned in the sentence. To understand it better look at the examples below with usage.

(a) Mango, banana, grapes, apricot, motorbikes, electric fans etc., are cheap in Pakistan. (Wrong sentence)

(b) Mango, banana, grapes, apricot, etc., are cheap in Pakistan. (Correct sentence)

Rule 4 (Do not use ‘and’ with etc.)

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

(a) I bought oil, salt, sugar and coffee etc., from the market. (Wrong sentence)

(b) I bought oil, salt, sugar, coffee etc., from the market. (Correct sentence)

Rule 5 (Do not use ‘introductory phrase’ with etc.)

Do not use etc. when introductory word like such as, like are in the beginning of the sentence.

(a) Bring items such as chocolates, cakes, ice cream, etc., for tonight party. (Wrong sentence)

(b) Bring items such as chocolates, cakes, and ice cream for tonight party” (Correct sentence)

Rule 6 (Use etc. only once in a sentence)

Avoid using etc. more than once in a sentence. Some people think it’s cute to use “etc.” more than once in a sentence or they want to focus on other items by writing etc. thrice.

(a) I have to buy shoes, socks, cap, gloves etc., etc., etc., from my salary. (Wrong sentence)

(b) I have to buy shoes, socks, cap, gloves etc., from my salary. (Correct sentence)

Rule 7 (Do not use it with specific list)

Do not use etc. if there is a specific list of items that you need. If you only need juice, cake, and cookies for the party: do not use etc. Using etc. in the sentence will make the reader or listener confused that you may need other items like dessert also for the party.

(a) Please fetch juice, cake, cookies, etc, for the party. (Sentence is wrong if only three items in the list are needed)

(b) Please fetch juice, cake, and cookies for the party.

Rule 8 (Use of punctuation marks with etc.)

As you have learned that etc. is always followed by period (full stop). What we will do if we have to use other punctuation marks like question mark, colon, or any other punctuation mark. Its answer is simple that you can use any punctuation mark (question marks, exclamation marks, semi-solons or colons) after etc. but after period like comma in the middle of the sentence. When we are using it at the end and sentence ends at period then we will use only one period. Look at the examples below to understand it in a better way.

1. Is he going to buy plates, cups, napkins, etc? (Wrong sentence)

2. Is he going to buy plates, cups, napkins, etc.? (Correct sentence)

3. I hate watching movies, dramas, etc! (Wrong sentence)

4. I hate watching movies, dramas, etc.! (Correct sentence)

About Authoress:

Syeda Adina Mehmood wrote the article ” HOW TO USE etc. CORRECTLY IN A SENTENCE“. She has published several other unique articles on same website. You can reach her at adinasayed@gmail.com

Источник

Et cetera, usually abbreviated etc., comes from the Latin et, meaning and, and cetera, meaning the rest. So et cetera literally means and the rest.

Overuse

Etc. is best reserved for times when (a) there is no question of what’s being omitted, or (b) when listing every item in a large group would be unnecessary. In this example, there’s no mystery about what etc. indicates:

All non-human primates—monkeys, gorillas, chimpanzees, etc.—exhibit some form of tool use.

And in this example, the author uses etc. because including a fuller list would be unnecessary:

For 99 cents, users can punch in their current mood (sad, tempted, worried, etc.). [Dallas News]

When the reader can’t know what’s being omitted and it’s not clear that there are more items in the list, etc. may signal laziness or dishonesty. In lazy moments, some writers use etc. when they know of only one or two examples but want to create the impression that there are more. Any engaged reader can see through this trick. Here are a few examples:

Cool “student search” home pages could welcome China’s students with identifiable inspirational figures, like animated cartoons, etc., that are of cultural Chinese importance. [Record Eagle]

Coaches lie all the time, and, as you see with Pete Carroll, Lane Kiffin, etc., can you really blame kids for changing their minds? [Courant]

First, I find out what motivates a particular dog. Some dogs like food, others toys, etc. [CBS News]

In each of these cases, it is not clear what etc. refers to, and we can’t simply assume that there are more examples than those the writer lists.

And etc.

Because et means and, the phrase and et cetera is redundant.

Etc. vs. et al

Et cetera refers to things. Et al. refers to people.

Etc. punctuation

Treat etc. as you would the phrase and the rest. When it comes at the end of a list, put a comma before it if you use the serial comma and don’t if you don’t use the serial comma. (We won’t get into the serial comma issue here.) When it’s in the middle of the sentence, it doesn’t need to be followed by a comma.

Etc. and for example

With a list introduced by for example or an equivalent phrase, there’s no need to use etc., because for example already implies that there are other examples that could be listed.

Источник

How to use in-sentence of “etc”:

+ I will take out all complex words, simplify etc to get it into simple english.

+ I have experience with the admin duties, deletion of pages, blocking of users, protection etc and would like to carry out tasks here.

+ I found an article called Peter Pan with some comments about being gay and Michael Jackson etc etc.

+ Branches of Umayanallor Service Co-operation Bank, Federal Bank, Muthoot Finance, etc are in Umayanalloor.

+ Some people who always use keys in their jobs are, security guardsecurity guards, prison officers, retail store managers, etc use keychains.

+ We can’t have PGAs etc hanging around for 6 weeks, it’s bad for the environment and it’s hardly going to encourage other nominations.

Use the word etc

Example sentences of “etc”:

+ In the Philippines, Culture, Music and etc are also included in P-pop Music scene, K-pop is the one of the biggest and most hot genre right now.

+ All g8ven events and etc are :en:WP:SPS.

+ Comments, thoughts, bugs etc all welcome at JIRA.

+ Personal injury, property damage, etc with no limit on how large or small that damage is.

+ But the modern Kafirs, especially the Siah-Posh Kafirs etc are considered to be modern representatives of the ancient Kambojas.

+ Indian National CongressINC, CPM, CPI, BJP etc are the major political parties.

+ In the Philippines, Culture, Music and etc are also included in P-pop Music scene, K-pop is the one of the biggest and most hot genre right now.

+ All g8ven events and etc are :en:WP:SPS.

+ Comments, thoughts, bugs etc all welcome at JIRA.

+ There are about 77.000 speakers, in Switzerland, in neighboring France: Grenoble, Lyon, etc ; Idaly: Aosta valley, and around.

+ I don’t really care if we change the main page, though I agree with DJ I personally prefer more neutral colors but I am possibly just a boring guy like that with my preference for earth tones etc ;.

+ Another IP address created an article about myself where all the information gathered from the personal website, social sites, IMDb link etc and which is kind of Copyvio and too much harassment.

+ He also has a number of post-graduate degrees at Oxford University, Fuller Seminary, MAF, Olford Center, etc and his works have been published in numerous journals.

Источник

The abbreviation etc. is from the Latin et cetera, which means “and other things.” It appears at the end of a list when there is no point in giving more examples. Writers use it to say, “And so on” or “I could go on” or “You get the idea.”

In American English, etc. ends in a period, even midsentence. It is traditionally enclosed in commas when it doesn’t end a sentence, but nowadays the comma that follows etc. is disappearing. The 1979 edition of Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style insists that etc. be followed by a comma: Letters, packages, etc., should go here. But Bryan A. Garner’s 1998 edition of A Dictionary of Modern American Usage advises against a following comma, saying it is “more logical” to omit it: Carrots, potatoes, broccoli, etc. have the advantage of being vegetables. Garner’s point is that if we replaced etc. with something like and celery we would not follow celery with a comma.

All authorities agree that etc. is out of place in formal writing. The Chicago Manual of Style says that etc. “should be avoided, though it is usually acceptable in lists and tables, in notes, and within parentheses.” John B. Bremner’s Words on Words says, “Use it informally, if you really must.” Theodore M. Bernstein’s The Careful Writer says the term “has no place in writing that has any literary pretensions.”

Do not use etc. with a “list” that gives only one example; there should be at least two items listed. And never use etc. at the end of a series that begins with for example, e.g., including, such as, and the like, because these terms make etc. redundant: they already imply that the writer could offer other examples.

Every so often you’ll see and etc. But et means “and,” so and etc. would mean “and and so on.” Also to be avoided is etc., etc., because why do that, why do that?

Since cetera means “other things,” etc. should not be used when listing persons. For that, we have et al. (note the period), from the Latin et alii, meaning “and other people”: The Romantic poets Keats, Wordsworth, Shelley, et al., strove to capture man’s mystic relationship with nature.

All the rules for etc. apply to et al., including its unsuitability for serious writing.

Pop Quiz

Fix what needs fixing. Answers are below.

1. The collection includes precious gemstones such as diamonds, rubies, emeralds, etc.

2. All our favorite characters, Jimmy, Slick Sam, Annie from Miami, etc., were at the party.

3. People love to watch the award shows (the Academy Awards, etc.) and try to guess who will win.

4. Many regard fine literature—novels, essays, poetry, etc—as essential to a useful life.

Pop Quiz Answers

1. The collection includes precious gemstones such as diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. OR The collection includes precious gemstones: diamonds, rubies, emeralds, etc. (Never use etc. at the end of a list introduced by such as)

2. All our favorite characters, Jimmy, Slick Sam, Annie from Miami, et al., were at the party. (Do not use etc. to refer to humans)

3. People love to watch the award shows (the Academy Awards, the Grammys, etc.) and try to guess who will win. (Do not use etc. after only one example)

4. Many regard fine literature—novels, essays, poetry, etc.—as essential to a useful life. (In American English, do not use etc. without a period)

If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the «Comment» box at the bottom of this page.

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