Can this be used instead of "and so on"?
Can "etc", "so on" also be used as "and things of that nature".
Example: In school you need to have, pen, pencil, pencil case and things of that nature.
English is not my first language, I hope you understand my question. Thanks
Solution 1:
Etc. is short for et cetera, which is Latin for and others. It is used in exactly the sense you describe, at the end of a short list to mean 'and other things of the same kind'.