TKG English Learner's Dictionary

such as

such aspreposition

American /ˈsʌtʃ æz/ British /ˈsʌtʃ æz/ also /ˈsʌtʃ əz/ the weak form heard in ordinary speech
very commondefining vocabulary

  1. giving examplesused before one or more examples of the kind of person or thing just mentioned

    Such as comes after a general word (fruits, sports) and before the examples, which are only some of the whole group. When the examples could be left out without changing the main meaning, commas go around them.

    Collocations

    phrase things such as, problems such as, countries such as, foods such as

    Synonyms like

    Compare like (like is also used before examples and is more common in speech; such as is a little more formal); including (including also gives part of a group, but stresses that the examples are inside the whole being talked about)

  2. asking for an exampleused alone to ask someone to give an example

    informal

Usage

Such as is followed by a noun, a pronoun, or an -ing form (hobbies such as reading), not by a clause; to introduce a clause, use as (as I said). Such before a noun with as later in the sentence (such people as these) is a formal use of such the determiner.

Common mistakes

I like sports such as, for example, tennis. I like sports such as tennis.
Such as already means for example; do not use both.
Such as I told you, the shop is closed. As I told you, the shop is closed.
Such as introduces examples, not a clause; use as before a clause.

See also such

For translators

Grammar trap Such as comes after the general word and before the examples: animals such as dogs, never such as dogs animals. It does not introduce a clause.