so
part of speech
conjunction, adverb; interjection (So, what now?)
meaning for a pupil
1) So means and that is why: It rained, so we stayed in. tree →
2) So means very, very much: I'm so happy! tree →
3) So means in this way, also: I think so. So do I. tree →
4) «So that» gives a purpose: Speak up so that we can hear. tree →
5) So can start a sentence to sum up or move on: So, what did you learn? tree →
6) (casual) «So» can mean «really, totally»: «That's so not fair», «I so want that». tree →
7) (rude) «So what?» means «I don't care»; «so?» alone can be a rude challenge. tree →
8) (casual) «or so» means about: «20 or so kids». tree →
9) (formal) Exams use «therefore», «hence», «thus», «consequently» or «accordingly» for «so». tree →
sense in the lessons
introduces the result or the next step («lost 3, so he has 8 − 3 = 5»); in maths «so» before the answer; in science «so» links a cause to its effect; in everyday life «so far», «and so on», «so what?», «I think so», «so-so» (not good, not bad); in casual talk «so like», «so yeah», «so not», «or so», «just so ya know»; in rough talk «So? Not my problem», «so what if I took 3»; in the exam voice «hence», «therefore», «it follows that», «so as to»
examples
- Sam had 8 marbles and lost 3, so he has 8 − 3 = 5. tree →
- It rained, so Max stayed home. tree →
- 3 × 4 = 12, so 12 ÷ 4 = 3. tree →
- Wear a hat so that you don't get sunburnt. tree →
- «Is it time to go?» «I think so.» tree →
- So far we have read 20 pages. tree →
- So, who wants to go first? tree →
- So like, there were 20 or so kids at the party. tree →
- That's so not fair, he got 5 and I got 2! tree →
- So what? I only took 3, there's heaps left. tree →
- It is given that 12 items remain; hence the number removed is 8. tree →
- Speak clearly so as to be heard at the back. tree →
- "Don't be so impatient," said Snow-White. tree →
note
Carries no operation clue; it marks a result. Trap: «so» before a number may give the answer already, not new data. «20 or so» means about 20, not exactly 20. «hence», «thus», «therefore» in an exam all mean «so». «So what?» is rude: it means the speaker does not care. Do not mix «so» with «sew» (use a needle and thread) and «sow» (plant seeds): they sound the same.
In the corpora
- Shops, hospitals, buses and factories need people at all hours, so their workers follow a rota that can change every week.
- Employers often glance at a CV for less than a minute, so grown-ups fuss over every word.
- Starting a new job means learning new systems, names and rules all at once, so people come home tired.
- In the UK a strike is legal after a vote, and the disruption is deliberate so that people notice.
- Payday is the day pay arrives in the bank, often once a month, so money is usually lowest just before it.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «so» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.