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Q: English grammar question ( Answered 5 out of 5 stars,   2 Comments )
Question  
Subject: English grammar question
Category: Miscellaneous
Asked by: columbo-ga
List Price: $5.00
Posted: 01 Dec 2004 11:13 PST
Expires: 31 Dec 2004 11:13 PST
Question ID: 436695
Which of the following is correct?
- "our normal lead- times (multiple brands) are as follow:"
or;
- "our normal lead-times are as follows:"

i.e., is it "follow" or "follows"?

Please support with proof (grammar book, whatever).
Answer  
Subject: Re: English grammar question
Answered By: juggler-ga on 01 Dec 2004 11:22 PST
Rated:5 out of 5 stars
 
Hello.

"As follows."

My sources are as follows:

"You should use as follows (not as follow) regardless of whether the
noun that precedes it is singular or plural: The regulations are as
follows."
source:
The American Heritage Book of English Usage.
A Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English.  1996.,
hosted by Bartleby.com
http://www.bartleby.com/64/C003/0129.html

"Usage Note: As follows (not as follow) is the established form of the
idiom regardless of whether the noun that precedes it is singular or
plural: The regulations are as follows."
source:
Dictionary.reference.com
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=follow

'Whatever follows or precedes "as follows" can be either singular or
plural, but the phrase is always "as follows" (and never "as follow").
According to Burchfield, that's because the phrase is essentially an
impersonal construction meaning something like "as it follows."
Authority: The New Fowler's Modern English Usage edited by R.W.
Burchfield. Clarendon Press: Oxford, England. 1996. Used with the
permission of Oxford University Press.'
source: The Grammar Logs
http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/grammarlogs3/grammarlogs431.htm

------
search strategy:
"as follow" "as follows" usage

I hope this helps.
columbo-ga rated this answer:5 out of 5 stars

Comments  
Subject: Re: English grammar question
From: cribcage-ga on 01 Dec 2004 12:45 PST
 
Don't use either. Your meaning is clear without them. Be concise.

Also, "lead time" isn't usually hyphenated.

Result:

Our normal lead times are:
Subject: Re: English grammar question
From: archae0pteryx-ga on 02 Dec 2004 20:12 PST
 
If you take cribcage's recommendation, you won't want the colon.

"As follows" serves a grammatical function.  It's not just a case of
pointless wordiness.

(And it's always better to use an extra word or two when clarity is
served; there's no advantage in being concise if people can't
understand your meaning.  Conciseness is not a higher goal than
effective communication.  However, comprehension is not really at risk
in this case.)

You can also say (with the colon), "Here are our normal lead times:".

Archae0pteryx

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