Comma Before “Such As”

Such as is an idiom used to introduce an example or a series of examples.
Use a comma before such as when it introduces a nonrestrictive clause.
Don’t use a comma before such as when it introduces a restrictive clause.
Don’t place a comma or any other form of punctuation directly after such as. It should be followed by the words it introduces without punctuation between it and them.

The phrase such as combines the adjective such, meaning “of a specified kind,” with the conjunction as in order to either introduce an example of or classify something that has already been mentioned.

We use a comma before such as and the phrase of examples it introduces when those examples are parenthetical, or nonrestrictive, to the meaning of the sentence as a whole. We leave out the comma when such as and the example clause are restrictive, or essential, to the meaning.

Knowing the difference between these scenarios is critical to clear writing because misusing a comma with such as can change the meaning of a sentence. In this guide, we’ll cover the ins and outs of when to use a comma before such as.

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How to use such as

When to use a comma before such as

When not to use a comma before such as

Other punctuation with such as

Is there ever a comma after such as?

Comma before such as summarized

Comma before such as FAQs

How to use such as

The term such as is used to supply examples or clarification in writing. It brings the adjective such and the conjunction as into an idiom that, grammatically, is not easily classifiable. However, such and as can also work together separately to provide examples, and looking at a sentence with that construction makes it easier to see how each word of such as functions as its own part of speech:

The registration office accepts such proofs of address as driver’s licenses, utility bills, and lease agreements.

Using such as in a sentence

Use the phrase such as to introduce examples of something in your writing or to indicate that something belongs to a certain category:

Please bring a proof of address such as a driver’s license, utility bill, or lease agreement to your first meeting.

I have never experienced a rainstorm such as this one before.

Like vs. such as

The word like is also commonly used as a preposition or conjunction to introduce examples. In this usage, it’s essentially interchangeable with such as in meaning and grammatical correctness, whether it’s forming a restrictive or a nonrestrictive phrase modifying a noun.

However, there’s a long-standing perception that like is ambiguous in such contexts since it can be read as making a comparison rather than presenting an example. For this reason, like tends to be used in less formal contexts, while such as is more common in academic writing and other more formal contexts.

More formal: Studies of the practice have been conducted in countries such as Brazil, India, and Australia.
Less formal: Studies of the practice have been conducted in countries like Brazil, India, and Australia.

Other synonyms for such as

Such as has a few additional synonyms that can be used to introduce examples in different contexts.

Including

Including can be used in place of such as to introduce an example or a list of examples. Like such as, including can mean that what follows is either a partial list of relevant examples or a complete list—it’s ambiguous.

I had to complete multiple steps to renew my visa, including filling out an application form, submitting a photo, and scheduling an interview at the consulate.

For example, for instance, by way of illustration, and namely

The expressions for example, for instance, by way of illustration, and namely can all serve the same function as such as by introducing one or more examples at the beginning of nonrestrictive clauses.

Unlike such as and including, they refer grammatically only to what follows them, so they are usually preceded by an em dash or, when introducing an independent clause, a semicolon or even a period, rather than a comma. They are all usually followed by a comma.

There are many times that pocket scissors come in handy—for example, when you want to trim a loose thread or remove a price tag.

She got a lot done on her day off; for instance, she did laundry, returned library books, and took her dog to the groomer.

The people in my neighborhood come together often to help one another. By way of illustration, the other day an elderly neighbor needed a ride to an appointment, and other neighbors quickly volunteered to drop her off and pick her up.

While the other expressions discussed here can introduce partial or full lists of examples, namely carries a sense of completeness:

I had to complete multiple steps to renew my visa—namely, filling out an application form, submitting a photo, paying a fee, and scheduling and attending an interview at the consulate.

E.g.

E.g. is a Latin abbreviation that means “for example.” It is always preceded by a comma or an em dash unless it is used at the beginning of an example set off in parentheses. (Some style guides recommend always enclosing it and the list it introduces in parentheses.) It is always followed by a comma. It never appears at the beginning of a sentence.

Feel free to be creative with your biography for the newsletter (e.g., paste in a photo or drawing, write a poem, or include quotes from someone close to you).

When to use a comma before such as

We use a comma before such as when the phrase that such as introduces is nonrestrictive. Such as phrases are descriptive phrases: They modify nouns. A nonrestrictive phrase is parenthetical to the noun it modifies and is set off with commas.

Commas around nonrestrictive such as phrases, which give examples

When a such as phrase is nonrestrictive, the information in it provides one or more examples of what the sentence has already identified with the noun. The examples may be informative, but the noun’s identity is complete without them, and they could be taken out of the sentence without affecting its meaning. Thus, the phrase is nonrestrictive and preceded by a comma.

Here’s an example of a sentence with a nonrestrictive such as example phrase set off with a comma:

Many spicy foods originate in places with hot climates, such as Ethiopia, India, and Thailand.

The such as phrase in this sentence lists three examples for the noun phrase it modifies: places with hot climates. But the sentence would still work without those examples, and the names of those three particular countries are not essential to the concept of places with hot climates. They are just three possible examples of such places; there are other examples that would work as well.

Note that when a nonrestrictive such as phrase appears in the middle of a sentence rather than at the end, it needs a comma at the end of the phrase as well as a comma before such as:

The syllabus included texts from a variety of disciplines, such as literary theory, sociology, and historiography, on its list of recommended further reading.

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When not to use a comma before such as

When the descriptive phrase that such as introduces is restrictive, no comma should appear before such as. Restrictive phrases provide essential information about the identity of the noun they modify and cannot be removed from a sentence without altering its meaning.

No commas with restrictive such as phrases, which help identify nouns

A restrictive phrase that begins with such as provides important identifying information about a class of things that the noun it modifies belongs to, and it is not separated from that noun by a comma:

For my nonfiction reading, I tend to choose subjects such as literature, criticism, and the history of language.

In the above sentence, such as introduces literature, criticism, and the history of language in order to narrow down the noun subjects. In other words, those are the kinds of subjects the speaker tends to choose, not just examples of subjects as a broad category. Note how removing the restrictive such as phrase from the sentence takes the meaning away:

For my nonfiction reading, I tend to choose subjects.

This new sentence may be grammatically correct, but it doesn’t make sense without the crucial information about the kinds of subjects the speaker prefers.

Other punctuation with such as

There are a few things other than comma placement to keep in mind when considering punctuation in sentences containing such as phrases.

Correct use of em dashes and parentheses with such as

Sometimes, you want the examples of a nonrestrictive such as phrase to read as more of an aside in your sentence than setting them off between commas suggests. In those cases, you can enclose the such as phrase in em dashes or parentheses.

As with commas, you need a pair of em dashes around your nonrestrictive such as phrase if it doesn’t end the sentence. With parentheses, you need both an opening one and a closing one, even at the end of a sentence.

Here are two example sentences containing nonrestrictive such as phrases, one with em dashes and the other with parentheses:

I like to keep my pantry stocked with cookie-making staples—such as flour, sugar, and baking powder—in case I get a late-night urge to bake.

Being from the Northeast, we have a hard time remembering the capitals of western states (such as Wyoming and Montana).

Misuse of colons and semicolons with such as

It is always incorrect to put a colon either directly before a nonrestrictive such as phrase in place of a comma or between such as and the examples it introduces. This kind of misuse of colons is common, however, because of how frequently colons are properly used to introduce lists of examples in other contexts.

Just remember this: The words that introduce a list must form a complete sentence in order to be correctly followed by a colon.

There is a variety of public transportation available in this city, such as: the subway, buses, a bike share program, and a commuter rail.

There is a variety of public transportation available in this city, such as the subway, buses, a bike share program, and a commuter rail.

There should also never be a semicolon before or after such as. Semicolons connect independent clauses, and because such as introduces phrases that modify nouns appearing earlier in a sentence, the term such as never begins or ends an independent clause.

The route Raina walks to work takes her past a number of useful businesses; such as a coffee shop, a shoe repair place, and a laundromat.

The route Raina walks to work takes her past a number of useful businesses, such as a coffee shop, a shoe repair place, and a laundromat.

Is there ever a comma after such as?

Such as never takes a comma between it and the examples or clarification it introduces. That said, if a such as phrase is interrupted by an adverbial phrase, the first comma setting off the adverbial phrase could correctly appear after such as, as in the following example:

We went to that flea market years earlier and saw some rarities, such as, if I recall correctly, an art deco sculpture and a first edition of Grimm’s fairy tales.

Even in this case, however, it’s important to note that the comma belongs with the adverbial phrase, not such as, as you can see if we remove the adverbial phrase:

We went to that flea market years earlier and saw some rarities, such as an art deco sculpture and a first edition of Grimm’s fairy tales.

Comma before such as summarized

The term such as is used at the beginning of two different kinds of phrases that follow nouns in sentences and modify those nouns. The first type of such as phrase supplies one or more examples of the noun it modifies. This type is nonrestrictive, meaning it provides nonessential information and is set off with a comma before and, if it is not at the end of the sentence, after the phrase.

The second type of such as phrase supplies information about a class of things that the noun it modifies belongs to. It is restrictive, which means it supplies essential information and is not set off by commas, either before such as or at the end of the phrase. Learning to spot which of these two purposes such as is serving in a sentence makes using commas with it correctly in your writing simple and straightforward.

Comma before such as FAQs

When do you need a comma before such as?

Use a comma before such as when it introduces a phrase containing examples of the noun the phrase modifies and that phrase can be left out of the sentence without changing the meaning. This kind of phrase is nonrestrictive, and nonrestrictive phrases and clauses are set off by commas.

When should you not use a comma before such as?

Don’t use a comma before such as when it introduces a phrase that modifies a noun by providing essential information about a category that the noun belongs to. This kind of phrase is restrictive, and nonrestrictive phrases and clauses are not set off from the rest of the sentence with punctuation.

Do you need a comma after such as?

Never use a comma to separate such as from the rest of the phrase that it introduces.

That store carries only convenience items, such as, snacks and beverages.

That store carries only convenience items, such as snacks and beverages.

Should you use a semicolon before such as instead of a comma?

You shouldn’t use a semicolon before such as instead of a comma in a nonrestrictive phrase because semicolons separate independent clauses, and such as phrases, which modify nouns, are never independent clauses.