As / So long as ... ?

[joel0462]

Hello,

being a non-native english speaker, I am confused by the following: I very often read the expression "so long as this condition ... , the consequence is ...", but the memory I kept from my school years tells me that one should write "AS long as this ..."
So, could anybody enlighten me about which is the correct way of stating this condition/consequence idea.

Thanks,

Joel

[Dawood Usmani]

Hello,

being a non-native english speaker, I am confused by the following: I very often read the expression "so long as this condition ... , the consequence is ...", but the memory I kept from my school years tells me that one should write "AS long as this ..."
So, could anybody enlighten me about which is the correct way of stating this condition/consequence idea.

Thanks,

Joel

as/so long as

a) used to say that one thing can happen or be true only if another thing happens or is true: You can go out to play as long as you stay in the back yard.

b) used to say that one thing will continue to happen or be true if another thing happens or is true at the same time: As long as we keep playing well, we'll keep winning games.

Both are interchangeable.
Hope this helps!
Dawood

[bhaisahab]

as/so long as

a) used to say that one thing can happen or be true only if another thing happens or is true: You can go out to play as long as you stay in the back yard.

b) used to say that one thing will continue to happen or be true if another thing happens or is true at the same time: As long as we keep playing well, we'll keep winning games.

Both are interchangeable.
Hope this helps!
Dawood

I disagree Dawood, it should be 'as long as'.

[Dawood Usmani]

I disagree Dawood, it should be 'as long as'.

I copied that stuff from Longman Dictionary. Are they wrong too? Where do, then, we use so long as?

[bhaisahab]

It seems to be US English usage, in BrE we use as long as.

[Dawood Usmani]

It seems to be US English usage, in BrE we use as long as.

Will you please give some examples in which so long as is used so that I'll clear my concept too.
Thanks a million!
Dawood

[Raymott]

Will you please give some examples in which so long as is used so that I'll clear my concept too.
Thanks a million!
Dawood

There's no difference in meaning. They are interchangeable.
The only question is whether "So long as ..." is correct grammar, and this appears to be a regional difference.
To me, either term can be used.

[Dawood Usmani]

There's no difference in meaning. They are interchangeable.
The only question is whether "So long as ..." is correct grammar, and this appears to be a regional difference.
To me, either term can be used.

That's what I was saying but respected Bahi Sahab objected. Thanks for your help. I'll wait for Bhai Sahab to comment though. Maybe he has something special to tell us.
Dawood

[bhaisahab]

I agree with Raymott that both can be used, with the proviso that 'as long as' is considered the correct form in BrE and as such, it is taught like that. Students are taught that 'so long as' is incorrect. If, however, you are learning AmE and possibly AusE you could be told that both are correct.
As Raymott has said "...it appears to be a regional difference".

[Dawood Usmani]

Thank you both for such information.