TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
>An English professor once explained to me why the phrase "nouns such as
>noun, noun, noun" was incorrect and "such nouns as noun, noun, noun" was
>correct.
>Can anyone here grasp the difference and explain it to me?
According to Am. Heritage (online), the phrasal construction "such as ___"
is an idiom. Perhaps what your English professor meant was that, used
properly, "such" should be an adjective here modifying the noun "noun."
I haven't been able to find any references in CMoS or elsewhere concerning an
ironclad rule here. I guess the real question is this: are all idioms off
limits in formal writing?
Any bites?
Bill Burns *
Assm. Technical Writer/Editor * LIBERTY, n. One of imagination's most
Micron Technology, Inc. * precious possessions.
Boise, ID *
WBURNS -at- VAX -dot- MICRON -dot- COM * Ambrose Bierce
