By Riccardo Esposito | Posted on
etc. and etc. are equivalent, you can use both abbreviations without problems. In the first case we indicate the abbreviation of etcetera, in the second the Latin and original formula et cetera. That is, and all other things.
Etc. with full stop at the end is the abbreviation of etc. That is one of the most common formulas of formal and informal writing. In fact, it is not always convenient to continue with a list of elements that can be repetitive or obvious.
Precisely to respect the rule of coherence and effective writing, in many circumstances it is advisable to omit some elements that are considered – by the author and by the reader – obvious. In these cases it can use et ceteraor the Italian formula etc.
What does etcetera mean and how is it used?
What is it and how to use it etc? This acronym comes fromshort for etcor the formula in current Italian of the Latin locution etc.1. Which can be translated as: “and the other things“. Specifically, the literal meaning should be “and the remaining”.
So, when you want to avoid writing a series of elements in a bulleted list or in a paragraph of text, you can use both the extended formula etcetera (alternatively et cetera), and the abbreviated one. ie etc. or etc. equivalently.
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Why and when to put etc. in a text
Shall we dive deeper into the use of these solutions and their associated abbreviations? Here, we can say this: etcetera, and related abbreviations such as etc. or etc., are used to avoid repeating parts of the text that would unnecessarily lengthen the content.
Making it unnecessarily verbose, unreadable and boring. Etc. in a text has the meaning of “and so on” or “and more”. This means that this expression is used when it is convenient to focus on the reader’s ability to understand the sequel.
How many times can I use etc. in a content? There isn’t one written rule and well defined but it is a good idea to moderate this solution, maximum once or twice in an article or a paragraph. However, repetition in the text should be avoided.
better etc. or etc. in the Italian text?
Since the use of etcetera was introduced, i.e. from the 16th century, the abbreviated solution has also been used. Which can be etc. or etc. without any substantial preference. In other words, you can use both formulas in the text without problems.
The first abbreviates classical Latin etc.. The second, however, refers to Italian etcetera. Certainly there are rules to be respected: in the first place that of consistency. That is to say, if you use etc. in a text it is better to keep this solution.
In some cases you may find etcetera written in different ways. For example, everything attached as etc. but this condition is common in English. Same for the formula etc. of Anglo-Saxon countries. In Italy, instead, it was used ec. but it is an abbreviated in disuse.
To be precise, as Daniele Imperi also suggests, we can prefer a use in writing in Italian etc. instead of etc. for greater consistency with the widespread use of etcetera with respect to the Latin formula etc. widespread especially in Anglo-Saxon countries. Like USA and UK.
How to write etc in a formal text?
In summary, in texts written in Italian you can use without distinction etc. or etc. Or the formulas in full etcetera or et cetera. The rest is not covered. How to proceed with formal writing? For example, how do you write etc. in a dissertation?
There are no a priori rules, much depends on the situation. There are some contexts such as those of thesis in which the candidate can be asked, just like when writing an abstract, to respect some rules. Such as for example not to use abbreviated words and then write etc. to the post of etc.
How to use etcetera (or etc.) in a text
In summary: sparingly2. Etc should only be used when needed. Implied words and abbreviations, as well as acronyms, can confuse the reader. Here are some rules for write etc. or etc. in the right way for your web writing activities.
Uppercase or lowercase?
There’s no need to use the big letter su etc e related abbreviation. These words follow the rules of ordinary uppercase and lowercase, providing the first solution only after a full stop (a very difficult occasion to occur, among other things3).
Punctuation of etc. and etc.
One of the chronic doubts of the authors: what are the rules of punctuation with etc. and etc? They are abbreviations, so there is a need for a period at the end. Any other kind of sign comes after after etc. or etc. and that means we have rules:
- After the abbreviation of etc. and etc. we always have the full stop.
- Avoid the ellipsis after etc., they do not close the abbreviation.
- Ordinary punctuation follows after the abbreviation point. So we will have:
- Before etc. and after the dot there is always space.
- After etc. or etc. and relative dot need not be capitalized.
As you can well guess, the period after the abbreviation is an integral part of the truncated word then after you can safely insert comma, semicolon, exclamation and question mark, brackets. Only suspension points are an exception.
What if we have etc. a nice sentence? Logic helps us and the abbreviation point of the term etc also indicates the end of the period. Otherwise there would be an unusual situation (etc..) and difficult to code. This also applies to et cetera and etc.
Before etc. or etc. do you need a comma?
It would fall within the theme of punctuation but it is right to make an extra clarification on this very important aspect to better manage this phrase: the comma before etc. or etc., but also the full forms, is optional. This means that in a list I can add this abbreviation in two ways: A,B,C etc. and A, B, C, etc.
In both cases there are no errors to log. This is because in the original formula there is already a coordinating conjunction et, which is equivalent to the Italian “and”. Consequently, in writing it is not needed put comma in lists before etc. or etc.
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When do you put etc? Some examples
Etc. is placed after listing three or more passages, but can also be used after two items if it is implied that there are other similar points following. But it is better to insert it after an articulated series of elements. Here are some examples concrete:
- I have prepared all the ingredients: flour, eggs, milk, etc.
- During the trip we visited museums, monuments, parks, etc.
- I have clothes of different colors: blue, red, green, etc.
Last note: it is important to use etc. sparingly, only when it’s really clear what’s being omitted from your list. If there is a risk of confusion, or if you need to give more detail, I recommend using a good bulleted or numbered list.
Category: Write | Label: Grammar
