and so forth

USAGE SUMMARY

"and so forth" is a correct and usable part of a sentence in written English.
You can use it when you want to indicate that there are more items in a list or more details that you could mention but are choosing not to. For example: "I need to buy milk, eggs, bread, and so forth for the party tonight."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

And so forth.

The New York Times

On killing and so forth.

The New Yorker

3rd" and so forth.

The Guardian - Opinion

"The early days, and so forth?

The New Yorker

And so forth and so on.

The New York Times

Why sit-ins, marches and so forth?

Independent

Alley, High Tension Road, and so forth.

The New Yorker

'Got My Mojo Workin',' and so forth.

The New Yorker

Etc., etc., and so forth.

University of California, Berkeley

and so forth, ad infinitum.

The New Yorker

You plate!" and so forth.

The New York Times - Books

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "and so forth" to avoid listing every single item in a series when the context makes it clear what the unlisted items might be. This keeps your writing concise and prevents overwhelming the reader with excessive detail.

Common error

Avoid using "and so forth" excessively in formal or academic writing. While it's acceptable to indicate a continuation, overuse can make your writing seem imprecise or lacking in detail. Instead, consider providing a more comprehensive list or using more formal alternatives if greater precision is needed.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "and so forth" functions as an conjunctive phrase. Ludwig AI confirms its common usage to indicate that a list or situation continues in a similar manner without needing to enumerate all possibilities. As the examples show, it often appears at the end of clauses to signal implied continuation.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

37%

Academia

31%

Science

23%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Reference

2%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "and so forth" is a versatile phrase used to indicate that a list or situation continues in a similar vein. Ludwig AI validates its grammatical correctness and widespread use across various contexts. It's commonly found in news articles, academic papers, and scientific publications. While perfectly acceptable, writers should be mindful of the context and consider more formal alternatives when precision is paramount. To avoid overuse, you can vary your writing with alternatives like "and so on" or "and the like".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

and so on

This alternative is nearly synonymous, providing a slightly more common and versatile way to indicate continuation.

and the like

This alternative is very similar, but is slightly more formal and implies items of similar type.

etcetera

This alternative is a direct Latin equivalent, commonly abbreviated as "etc.", and signals an unfinished list.

and so on and so forth

This alternative adds emphasis and redundancy, underscoring the continuation's unspecified nature.

and other similar things

This alternative is more descriptive, explicitly conveying the inclusion of comparable items.

and all that jazz

This alternative is informal and colloquial, suggesting a range of related but unspecified elements.

and what have you

This alternative is idiomatic, indicating unspecified items that are easily associated with the ones mentioned.

and similar items

This alternative directly points to more things like the ones previously named.

and the rest

This alternative implies the remaining items that are obviously part of the whole.

and more

This alternative provides the most concise way to say there are more items in a list

FAQs

How do you use "and so forth" in a sentence?

Use "and so forth" at the end of a list to indicate that there are similar items that you are not explicitly mentioning. For example, "I packed snacks, drinks, games, and so forth for the road trip".

What is a more formal alternative to "and so forth"?

If you need a more formal alternative to "and so forth", consider using "and the like" or specifying the category the items belong to.

Is it okay to use "and so forth" in academic writing?

While "and so forth" is grammatically correct, it may be perceived as informal for academic writing. Consider if a more detailed explanation or a phrase like "and other similar things" would be more appropriate.

What is the difference between "and so on" and "and so forth"?

The phrases "and so on" and "and so forth" are largely interchangeable. Both indicate that a list continues in a similar manner, but "and so on" may be slightly more common in everyday speech.