Using So and Not – part 2
written by Lilian Ndongmo. ESL Teacher
Today, we will look at three more functions of So. Go here to see the first three.
Using So
Usage 4: Use so to emphasize a positive statement, especially when you agree with an action or something someone says.
Example: Susan: “Avatar is good movie.”
Jean: “So it is.”
Usage 5: Use so to replace an adjective or adverb in the same sentence.
Example: The bank is open, and will be so until 5:30 PM.
Note: If you don’t use so, this sentence will read as: The bank is open, and will be open until 5:30 PM.
This helps you to avoid using the same adjective twice in the same sentence.
Usage 6: Use so with the verb do to indicate that an action which was expected to happen actually did occur. It replaces the previously stated action.
Example: Bob was making a lot of noise in class. The teacher told him to shut up, and he did so.
The action that was expected to happen = shut up
The action actually happened is indicated by: did so
Note: If so is not used, this sentence will read as: The teacher told him to shut up, and he shut up.
Practice with this short Quiz.
There is one more function of so which is not very common in everyday usage. If you are interested in this, please leave a comment to let me know.