A computer equipped with signature-recognition software, which restricts access to a computer to those people whose signatures are on file, identifies a person’s signature by analyzing not only the form of the signature but also such [color=brown]characteristics [color=blue]as pen pressure and signing speed.
Source: school exam
Hi,
If it the blue parts mean “such as”, then why a noun (characteristics) has been put between them?
In the dictionaries, a noun often comes after “such as” not between “such” and “as”.
Look at these sentence examples:
That sum of money is to cover costs such as [color=brown]travel and accommodation.
Cartoon characters such as [color=brown]Mickey Mouse and Snoopy are still popular.
In these two examples the brown parts are not put between “such” and “as”. They are put between “such as”.
But in my original question “characteristics” is put between “put” and “as”. (dictionaries’ examples are not like this.)
So, what does the blue “such” mean in my original question? Is it a determiner meaning “these” or “those”?
A simple look at macmillandictionary.com/dict … itish/such would remove many questions: “such…as: On such a day as today, it’s hard to imagine that things will ever be normal again.
such as: Large and important projects such as this one often take years to develop.”
Eugene, ‘such as’ here means almost ‘like’. The sentences can be recast without (generally) semantic changes as follows:
That sum of money is to cover costs such as travel and accommodation.
That sum of money is to cover such costs as travel and accommodation.
(That sum of money is to cover costs like travel and accommodation)
Cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse and Snoopy are still popular.
Such cartoon characters as Mickey Mouse and Snoopy are still popular.
(Cartoon characters like Mickey Mouse and Snoopy are still popular)
It doesn’t ‘solve the (original) problem’ as you’ve only explained why ‘such as’ works when it is together. The original question asked about ‘such as’ as well.
Eugene had already provided a means of solving that problem as his link explains the difference.
Sb - if you take a look at the link provided by Eugene you will see that there are various ways of using ‘such’ and ‘as’ in combination with other sentence parts, and the role played by the terms can vary.
This is another example of how you cannot just take words or phrases and expect the patterns to ‘translate’ into other sentences and mean the same, I’m afraid.
Doesn’t my explanation clarify the meaning and the structure of each, and offer a better/easier insight into the concept of ‘such as’ and ‘such … as’ at least in the given cases? (From my explanation you could discern that ‘such things as’ would mean ‘things like’. The link does not fully solve the problem, I’m afraid)