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Is it grammatically correct to write "as is", instead of "as it is"?

e.g.

Bob: Shall I change the title?

Geoff: No. Just leave it as is, for now.

And if so, under what circumstances should it be used?

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Wikipedia, TheFreeDictionary, businessdictionary, dictionary.reference.com, MacmillanDictionary all list the phrase "as is". [1]: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_is [2]: legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/as+is [3]: businessdictionary.com/definition/as-is.html [4]: dictionary.reference.com/browse/as+is [5]: macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus/british/as#as-is_1 – Kris Jan 6 at 7:11
Voting to close as GR – Kris Jan 6 at 7:11

closed as general reference by Kris, tchrist, Andrew Leach, Hellion, MετάEd Jan 6 at 17:44

This question is too basic; it can be definitively and permanently answered by a single link to a standard internet reference source designed specifically to find that type of information. See the FAQ for guidance on how to improve it.

1 Answer

up vote 5 down vote accepted

As is is an idiomatic expression meaning "in its current state." That way, "just leave it as is" can be seen as "just leave it in its current state."

You can say as it is, but you're losing the idiom and just constructing a simple sentence.

Use whichever fits your taste better.

Edit: As properly noted by FumbleFingers:

[As is] is not really "informal/slang", as many such "superficially ungrammatical" terms are. Wikipedia even goes so far as to say it's a legal term - it's certainly common in texts such as warranties, where the rest of the material is often quite formal.

In a nutshell: As is is perfectly grammatical and can be used in formal context.

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4  
It's true, as is is idiomatic, but I think OP needs to be told that it's not really "informal/slang", as many such "superficially ungrammatical" terms are. Wikipedia even goes so far as to say it's a legal term - it's certainly common in texts such as warranties, where the rest of the material is often quite formal. – FumbleFingers Jan 4 at 13:37

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