Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - such

Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. Note: When 'such' is used as a predeterminer, it is followed by ‘a’ and a count noun in the singular. When it is used as a determiner, it is followed by a count noun in the plural or by an uncount noun. 1. You use such to refer back to the thing or person that you have just mentioned, or a thing or person like the one that you have just mentioned. You use such as and such...as to introduce a reference to the person or thing that has just been mentioned. There have been previous attempts at coups. We regard such methods as entirely unacceptable... There’d be no telling how John would react to such news as this. DET: DET n, DET n as pron • Such is also a predeterminer. If your request is for information about a child, please contact the Registrar to find out how to make such a request... How can we make sense of such a story as this? PREDET: PREDET a n • Such is also used before be. We are scared because we are being watched–such is the atmosphere in Pristina and other cities in Kosovo. such be • As such is also used. There should be a law ensuring products tested on animals have to be labelled as such. -ed as such • Such as is also used. Issues such as these were not really his concern... such as pron 2. You use such...as to link something or someone with a clause in which you give a description of the kind of thing or person that you mean. Each member of the alliance agrees to take such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force... Britain is not enjoying such prosperity as it was in the mid-1980s. DET: DET n as cl • Such as is also used. Children do not use inflections such as are used in mature adult speech... n such as cl 3. You use such...as to introduce one or more examples of the kind of thing or person that you have just mentioned. ...such careers as teaching, nursing, hairdressing and catering. ...delays caused by such things as bad weather or industrial disputes. DET: DET n as n • Such as is also used. ...serious offences, such as assault on a police officer... such as n 4. You use such before noun groups to emphasize the extent of something or to emphasize that something is remarkable. I think most of us don’t want to read what’s in the newspaper anyway in such detail... The economy was not in such bad shape, he says. DET c darkgreen]emphasis • Such is also a predeterminer. You know the health service is in such a state and it’s getting desperate now... It was such a pleasant surprise... PREDET: PREDET a n 5. You use such...that in order to emphasize the degree of something by mentioning the result or consequence of it. The weather has brought such a demand for beer that one brewery will operate over the weekend... This is something where you can earn such a lot of money that there is not any risk that you will lose it... He was in such a hurry that he almost pushed me over on the stairs. PREDET: PREDET a n that c darkgreen]emphasis • Such is also a determiner. She looked at him in such distress that he had to look away. DET: DET n that • Such is also used after be. Though Vivaldi had earned a great deal in his lifetime, his extravagance was such that he died in poverty... be such that 6. You use such...that or such...as in order to say what the result or consequence of something that you have just mentioned is. The operation has uncovered such backstreet dealing in stolen property that police might now press for changes in the law. DET: DET n that • Such is also a predeterminer. He could put an idea in such a way that Alan would believe it was his own. PREDET: PREDET a n that/as to • Such is also used after be. OFSTED’s brief is such that it can conduct any inquiry or provide any advice which the Secretary of State requires. be such that 7. You use such and such to refer to a thing or person when you do not want to be exact or precise. (SPOKEN) I said, ‘Well what time’ll I get to Leeds?’ and he said such and such a time but I missed my connection... PHRASE: PHR a n, PHR after v c darkgreen]vagueness 8. You use such as it is or such as they are to suggest that the thing you have just mentioned is not very good, important, or useful. The British Women’s Movement, such as it is these days, came up with a programme of speeches at the House of Commons. PHRASE: n PHR 9. You use as such with a negative to indicate that a word or expression is not a very accurate description of the actual situation. I am not a learner as such–I used to ride a bike years ago... PHRASE: usu n PHR 10. You use as such after a noun to indicate that you are considering that thing on its own, separately from other things or factors. Mr Simon said he was not against taxes as such, ‘but I do object when taxation is justified on spurious or dishonest grounds,’ he says. PHRASE: n PHR 11. no such thing: see thing