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Apr 28

And so forth

Posted on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 in Misused words and expressions

Etc.

Not to be used of persons. 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. Least open to objection when it represents the last terms of a list already given in full, or immaterial words at the end of a quotation.

At the end of a list introduced by such as, for example, or any similar expression, etc. is incorrect.

From: William Strunk, Jr., The Elements of Style, 1918.

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