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Let’s say I write: “Just send me those documents as is”. Is that correct? Should the "as is" idiom be pluralised into “as are”, which sounds so wrong to me? Or are they both incorrect, in which case I may write “as they are”?

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    The only strange thing about your sentence is that if you're saying "these" documents, it sounds like you already have them, so why do they need to send them to you? :)
    – Benjol
    Jan 20, 2011 at 10:03
  • @Benjol indeed, “those documents” would be better. Thanks!
    – F'x
    Jan 20, 2011 at 10:07
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    Just leave it "as is". Apr 23, 2012 at 20:03

2 Answers 2

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Merriam Webster's Dictionary of English Usage (see page 131) says that the phrase as is is always singular, regardless of the number of items. As are is incorrect, but there is nothing wrong with using as they are. I think as is is most commonly used to do with the sale of something. ("I bought a used car, as is.")

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"As is" can be used in comparison, for example, "a tiger is a type of cat, as is a lion." You can also pluralize it, to expand on the previous example, "tigers are cats, as are lions."

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    That is not the same "as is". "As is" in this context is an idiom, a contracted form of "as it is". This "as is" cannot be replaced with "as are", because "as are" is not an accepted idiom. For instance you cannot say that you are selling two cars, "as are".
    – Kaz
    Apr 23, 2012 at 16:00

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