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How to Use Such as in a Sentence: 2 Easy and Clear Sentences

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How do you use such as in a sentence? Can I start a sentence with such as? Do you put a comma before such as? What puctuation goes after such as? How do you use like and such as?

In this interesting post, you’ll learn how to use such as in a sentence and when to use a comma before such as.

How to use such as in a sentence

Such as synonyms

Such as has two meanings:

  • Such as means ‘for example

Social networking websites, such as Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook, have become very popular all over the world.

  • Such as means ‘like

Opportunities such as this did not come every day.

Can I Start a Sentence with Such As?

In fact, you cannot start a sentence with such as. However, you can use such as at the beginning only in a question, as a response to a statement by someone else. Here is an example:

A: There are many activities I love to do in the summer

holiday.

B: Such as?

So, person B used such as to ask for an example.

Do You Put a Comma Before Such As

Generally, you do not put a comma before such as, but a comma can be used before such as only if such as is used to start a non-defining (=non-restrictive) clause. That is, if the examples you give after such as are not essential to the accuracy of the statement, then use a comma before such as.

Example:

When you throw something to someone, such as a ball, you expect them to catch it.

‘Such as a ball’ in the example above is a non-restrictive clause. You can leave it out without changing the meaning of the sentence. For this reason, you can put a comma before such as.

You can say: When you throw something to someone, you expect them to catch it.

How Do You Use Like and Such As?

We use like before a noun, a pronoun, or before someone/something + verb + ing

Examples:

  • Their house is like a palace. (noun)
  • She is a nurse, like me. (pronoun)
  • It sounds like a baby crying. (like + someone + verb +ing)

We use such as with out a verb

Example: Some sports, such as auto racing, can be dangerous.

For Example in a Sentence

Such as Conjunction

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