What’s the meaning of “as such” in this sentence?

11 comments

1. Synonymous with “therefore,” “as a result,” etc.

2. “As such” = “As powerful guide[s]”

   If used “properly,” such refers to a prior relevant noun.

3. therefore

4. In this case, read “as such, they may be …” as “as powerful guides with this ability, your emotions may be …”.

5. “For this reason” has always been my take.

6. “That being true” or “That being the case” or “With that in mind”

   It’s basically saying that if you acknowledge what was previously said, you could conclude the following.

7. “Given what was stated just earlier,”

8. “as a result” or “therefore”

9. “Such” here refers to “powerful guide.”

   This passage is an example of poor usage, which is why it’s confusing. The second sentence, dividing the one containing “as such” and the phrase to which it refers, makes it difficult to trace the connection between reference and referent. Also there is a singular/plural disagreement in the first sentence, which in this case isn’t grammatically incorrect, because “your emotions” can function as a collective noun. But it’s awkward and the awkwardness doesn’t help with understanding.

   This would be better:

   *Your emotions can also act as powerful guides that tell you when something is wrong, allowing you to make changes in your life. As such, they may be among the most powerful personal growth tools you have.*

10. “As a result,” “consequently,” “therefore,” or “thus.”

11. It’s a concise way of saying “because the thing I just described is the way that I have described it, we might infer the following”