so ill as or as ill as

**valtango** · 20-May-2003, 21:15

Can you help me, which is correct?
I haven't felt as ill as I do now, for a long time.
or
I haven't felt so ill as I do now, for a long time.

Frances · 20-May-2003, 23:04

as ill as

lucyarliwu · 21-May-2003, 02:43

I will choose the second one: so ill as

:)

Lucy from China

**RonBee** · 21-May-2003, 05:07

Originally Posted by valtango

Can you help me, which is correct?
I haven't felt as ill as I do now, for a long time.
or
I haven't felt so ill as I do now, for a long time.

It is a strange sentence in any case, but generally speaking it should be as ill as.

Perhaps: "I haven't felt this ill in a long time."
Or: "I haven't felt so ill in a long time."

8)

**Tdol** · 21-May-2003, 16:35

so ill as is grammatically acceptable, but it has fallen into disuse and is heard increasingly rarely.

**Lib** · 22-May-2003, 10:17

Grammar rules: so ... as is acceptable in negative sentences. So, 'I haven't felt so ill as I do now for a long time' is fine because the sentence is negative.
As ... as can be used in affirmative, negative ... whatever you like. So in this case it's also correct.
It would be incorrect to say: John is so tall as his father. (Affirmative sentence, only as ...as is possible here)

**Tdol** · 22-May-2003, 16:14

The whole structure is falling into disuse- it only really survives in a few fossilised expressions nowadays.

**Lib** · 22-May-2003, 20:48

True .... but we still have to point it out to our students who may be expected to use it in an exam......

**MikeNewYork** · 23-May-2003, 06:16

Originally Posted by tdol

The whole structure is falling into disuse- it only really survives in a few fossilised expressions nowadays.

I agree. I don't think it would even be considered correct by many American grammarians.

**Tdol** · 23-May-2003, 16:24

It occurs in some phrases that aren't negative- you do hear 'just so long as' here, but it's moribund.

Thread: so ill as or as ill as

Thread Tools

Display