"For example/for instance" are CONNECTORS that introduce a separate CLAUSE or example; "such as/like" are PREPOSITIONS that introduce examples WITHIN the same clause without their own verb. "Such as, for example, dogs" = incorrect (mix).
FOR EXAMPLE / FOR INSTANCE: adverbial connectors introducing one or more examples that illustrate a general statement. Followed by a CLAUSE or ELEMENT(S) with a comma. POSITION: at the start of a new clause or sentence, or between commas within a sentence. "Many companies have adopted flexible working arrangements. For example, Google allows employees to work remotely two days per week." FOR INSTANCE = exact synonym of FOR EXAMPLE, slightly more formal. DIFFERENCE with SUCH AS: FOR EXAMPLE/INSTANCE introduce the illustration as SEPARATE additional information. SUCH AS integrates examples WITHIN the main clause. Punctuation: comma after FOR EXAMPLE/INSTANCE when starting a clause.
Several emerging technologies are reshaping the financial services sector. For example, blockchain-based settlement systems are reducing transaction costs and settlement times in cross-border payments.
The partnership model has proven particularly effective in certain market contexts — in the consumer electronics sector, for instance, joint ventures have enabled faster market entry than building independent distribution from scratch.
Regulatory requirements vary considerably across jurisdictions. For example, the data residency obligations in the European Union differ significantly from those currently applicable in Southeast Asia and Latin America.
SUCH AS / LIKE: prepositions integrating examples WITHIN the clause without their own verb. They introduce a LIST of examples directly after the noun they illustrate. "Companies such as Google, Apple, and Microsoft have led the shift to flexible work." "Companies like Google and Apple have transformed the industry." SUCH AS: more formal, preferred in written English. LIKE: more colloquial, very common in spoken and semi-formal English. FORMAL DISTINCTION: LIKE as "for example" is less accepted in very formal written English (grammatical prescriptivism rejects it, though modern usage accepts it widely). HOW NOT TO USE: "Such as for example" = INCORRECT (redundant — choose one or the other). "Such as" never introduces a full clause with its own verb: "Companies such as Google uses AI" = INCORRECT. Correct: "Companies such as Google USE AI" (verb agrees with main noun "companies").
The investment committee is particularly focused on companies in high-growth sectors such as advanced manufacturing, healthcare technology, and sustainable energy infrastructure.
Traditional brick-and-mortar retailers like department stores and independent bookshops have had to fundamentally rethink their value propositions in response to the sustained shift in consumer spending toward digital channels.
The report identifies several structural factors such as demographic shifts, urbanization trends, and changing household formation patterns as key drivers of long-term demand growth in the residential property market.
Common mistake
MOST COMMON ERRORS: (1) "Such as for example" = REDUNDANT and INCORRECT. Choose one: "such as" OR "for example," not both. (2) Verb agreement after SUCH AS. The verb agrees with the MAIN SUBJECT, not with the "such as" examples. "Companies such as Google and Apple has invested..." = INCORRECT (verb must agree with "companies": "HAVE invested"). (3) "Like for example" = redundant. "Like" or "for example," not both. (4) FOR EXAMPLE inside the clause without commas: "I enjoy many activities for example swimming" = INCORRECT. Correct: "I enjoy many activities, for example, swimming" (between commas) or "I enjoy many activities. For example, swimming is..." (new clause). (5) "Such as" followed by a full clause: "companies such as they use AI" = INCORRECT. SUCH AS only precedes nouns or noun phrases, not full clauses with a verb.
Trick to remember it
THE VERB TEST: does what follows the connector HAVE its own CONJUGATED VERB? = FOR EXAMPLE / FOR INSTANCE. "For example, Google allows..." (allows = own verb). Does what follows consist only of NOUNS or NOUN PHRASES without their own verb? = SUCH AS / LIKE. "Such as Google, Apple..." (no verb). PUNCTUATION RULE: FOR EXAMPLE always needs a comma before or after (or both): ",for example," / "for example," (at start). SUCH AS: comma before but not always after: "companies such as Google." FORMALITY: SUCH AS > LIKE in formality. FOR EXAMPLE = FOR INSTANCE in content but FOR INSTANCE sounds slightly more formal and British.
Quick rule
For example / For instance + clause with its own verb (between commas or at the start). Such as / Like + noun(s) without a verb (inside the clause). Never: "such as for example" (redundant). Never: "such as Google uses AI" (verb agrees with main subject, not with "such as" examples).
Did you know?
The use of LIKE as "for example" is one of the most famous prescriptive debates in English. Traditional purists argue that LIKE is a PREPOSITION and can only make comparisons ("she runs like a pro") but cannot exemplify. However, in contemporary colloquial American English, using LIKE to exemplify ("companies like Apple and Google") is fully accepted even in semi-formal and business English. The debate between prescriptivists and descriptivists has lasted decades: prescriptivists insist on SUCH AS for exemplification; descriptivists argue that LIKE has had this usage for centuries in spoken English and ignoring it is arbitrary. In practice, the rule that remains useful is FORMALITY: in legal, academic, or very formal documents = SUCH AS. In general business English and semi-formal communication = LIKE is completely acceptable.
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The company has successfully diversified its revenue streams into adjacent categories _____ smart home devices, enterprise software subscriptions, and cloud-based professional services.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The organization has adopted several innovative practices to reduce operational costs. _____, the logistics team has implemented a dynamic route optimization algorithm that cuts fuel consumption by twelve percent.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
For example / For instance + clause with its own verb (between commas or at the start). Such as / Like + noun(s) without a verb (inside the clause). Never: "such as for example" (redundant). Never: "such as Google uses AI" (verb agrees with main subject, not with "such as" examples).
MOST COMMON ERRORS: (1) "Such as for example" = REDUNDANT and INCORRECT. Choose one: "such as" OR "for example," not both. (2) Verb agreement after SUCH AS. The verb agrees with the MAIN SUBJECT, not with the "such as" examples. "Companies such as Google and Apple has invested..." = INCORRECT (verb must agree with "companies": "HAVE invested"). (3) "Like for example" = redundant. "Like" or "for example," not both. (4) FOR EXAMPLE inside the clause without commas: "I enjoy many activities for example swimming" = INCORRECT. Correct: "I enjoy many activities, for example, swimming" (between commas) or "I enjoy many activities. For example, swimming is..." (new clause). (5) "Such as" followed by a full clause: "companies such as they use AI" = INCORRECT. SUCH AS only precedes nouns or noun phrases, not full clauses with a verb.
THE VERB TEST: does what follows the connector HAVE its own CONJUGATED VERB? = FOR EXAMPLE / FOR INSTANCE. "For example, Google allows..." (allows = own verb). Does what follows consist only of NOUNS or NOUN PHRASES without their own verb? = SUCH AS / LIKE. "Such as Google, Apple..." (no verb). PUNCTUATION RULE: FOR EXAMPLE always needs a comma before or after (or both): ",for example," / "for example," (at start). SUCH AS: comma before but not always after: "companies such as Google." FORMALITY: SUCH AS > LIKE in formality. FOR EXAMPLE = FOR INSTANCE in content but FOR INSTANCE sounds slightly more formal and British.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy