English Café: Write “etc.” NOT “and etc.”

Advanced Details: “and etc.” is wrong.

Don’t add the word “and” to etc. The abbreviation etc. is enough by itself. What is the abbreviation etc.? It is the abbreviation for et cetera, meaning other similar things. Etc. is always used with a period/full stop. “What does etc mean?” It means “the rest” or “and so on.” When do we use etc.? We use it when we don’t want to give a complete list.

Here are 3 example sentences:

• They ask for your personal details - age, sex, nationality, etc. [not “and etc.]
• Next summer I’ll be taking my family to tour Switzerland Norway, France, etc. [not “and etc.]
• For the PTTEP party we need some grapes, cheese, beer, chips, etc. [not “and etc.]

Remember, write only “etc.” Don’t write “and etc.”