I'm afraid to use the word "so"

[realEnglish]

Years ago, I posted in another forum. I wrote something like " (something) happened, so I did ...". Someone was shocked and said "I wouldn't use the word 'so'". That user didn't tell me why. But it's enough to scare me. After that, I always tried to avoid using the word "so" to express "subsequently".

Was that user right?

 

[jutfrank]

You mean 'consequently', not 'subsequently'.

Please give us a complete sentence to consider.

 

[realEnglish]

1
I took the usual route to go to the shopping mall. But half way to the mall, I saw the street was overly crowded. So, I changed my route.

2
I shopped online. When I received the delivery, I found the product was not what the website told us. So I returned it.

 

[jutfrank]

Thank you. Yes, you're using so correctly.

Note that you don't need to write a new (second) sentence in those examples. You can connect them to make a single written sentence. It's possible that this was what the forum poster was getting at.

 

[Rover_KE]

In other words, end your sentences like this (without commas after 'so'):

1. ... I saw the street was overly crowded, so I changed my route.

2. ... When I received the delivery, I found the product was not what the website told us, so I returned it.

 

[realEnglish]

Thank you. Yes, you're using so correctly.

Note that you don't need to write a new (second) sentence in those examples. You can connect them to make a single written sentence. It's possible that this was what the forum poster was getting at.

Thanks!

I need more help.

If I say, "I took the usual route to go to the shopping mall. But half way to the mall, I saw the street was overly crowded, I then changed my route." does it sound better to you?

 

[jutfrank]

If I say, "I took the usual route to go to the shopping mall. But half way to the mall, I saw the street was overly crowded. I then changed my route." does it sound better to you?

No. Use so, which is the best word.

Note that then (usually) means 'subsequently', not 'consequently'.

 

[SoothingDave]

Perhaps the advice was meant to caution you against the frequent use of "so" as a filler word.

Like starting a story with "So I was driving to work today.."

 

[emsr2d2]

If I say no comma here "I took the usual route [STRIKE]to go[/STRIKE] to the shopping mall no full stop here but, halfway to the mall, I saw the street was over-crowded. I then changed my route no full stop here", does it sound better to you?

Please see my corrections above. "... but halfway to the mall, I saw the street was over-crowded, I then changed my route" contains a comma splice. The comma after "crowded" should be either a full stop or a semi-colon.
No full stop or semi-colon is required in "... I saw the street was over-crowded so I changed my route."

 

[PeterCW]

Perhaps the advice was meant to caution you against the frequent use of "so" as a filler word.

Like starting a story with "So I was driving to work today.."

It is a common fault among native BrE speakers to use "so" as a filler word in spoken English. Also, I wouldn't start a written sentence with "so".

I think that the only time that I would start a sentence with it in conversation would be in an interview and then only to focus the interviewee's attention before asking the real question.

 

[realEnglish]

Please see my corrections above. "... but halfway to the mall, I saw the street was over-crowded, I then changed my route" contains a comma splice. The comma after "crowded" should be either a full stop or a semi-colon.
No full stop or semi-colon is required in "... I saw the street was over-crowded so I changed my route."

Thanks!

If I say "I took the usual route to the shopping mall but, halfway to the mall, I saw the street was over-crowded. I then changed my route", does it sound better to you?

I will remember to put the comma after but, though I don't know why the punctuation isn't paced the same way we actually speak.

 

[realEnglish]

Perhaps the advice was meant to caution you against the frequent use of "so" as a filler word.

Like starting a story with "So I was driving to work today.."

I always thought it's what native speakers said. "So I visited my sister Emma ... ( to start a story)," or "So today we are going to talk about ..." :lol:

 

[tedmc]

I always thought it's what native speakers said. "So I visited my sister Emma ... ( to start a story)," or "So today we are going to talk about ..." :lol:

The two examples are not a good way to start a sentence with "so". As Dave stated, it is used more commonly as a filler word in conversations. It is advisable for learners to stick to using "so" as a conjunction.

For example, after a meeting ends, someone suggests to the group to have lunch together. He/she would probably say, "So, where shall we go for lunch?"

 

[GoesStation]

Thanks!

If I say "I took the usual route to the shopping mall but, halfway to the mall, I saw the street was over-crowded. I then changed my route", does it sound better to you?

What did jutfrank say in post #7?

I will remember to put the comma after but, though I don't know why the punctuation isn't paced the same way we actually speak.

It is how we speak. It represents a slight pause.

 

[probus]

I always thought it's what native speakers said. "So I visited my sister Emma ... ( to start a story)," or "So today we are going to talk about ..." :lol:

Indeed lots of native speakers habitually preface their remarks with "so". That does not mean it's a good thing to do as it contributes nothing to the meaning. So it isn't something learners should emulate.

 

[realEnglish]

What did jutfrank say in post #7?

Sorry, I removed the remarks made by emsr2d2 to understand the punctuation. It should have been "so".

 

[Phaedrus]

I think that the only time that I would start a sentence with it in conversation would be in an interview and then only to focus the interviewee's attention before asking the real question.

Such usage of "so" shows that it is not meaningless filler (like "um") but serves a role in conversation.

Introductory "so" has been analyzed as a discourse marker used to signal a transition to a new topic.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I always thought it's what native speakers said. "So I visited my sister Emma ... ( to start a story)," or "So today we are going to talk about ..." :lol:

That is exactly the wrong way to use it!

Never make your first word So when you start a story or answer a question.

And when you answer a question, it's even worse to start with:

- Right, so . . . .
- Yeah, so . . . .
- Yes, so . . . .

You're right. Careless native speakers do use it. But you don't want people to think you're careless, in any language.

So don't use it. (That, by the way, is the correct way to start a sentence with So. It means Therefore.)

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Thanks!

If I say "I took the usual route to the shopping mall, but halfway to the mall, I saw the street was over-crowded. I then changed my route", does it sound better to you?

I will remember to put the comma after but, though I don't know why the punctuation isn't paced the same way we actually speak.

It's a compound sentence, so it wants a comma before but.

I've read that it's bad form to put commas both before and after a conjunction, so I don't.