So (sentence closer)
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So is a word that may be used to end sentences. When ending a sentence, it may be:
- a coordinating conjunctive to refer backwards to something previously mentioned
- a coordinating conjunctive dangling "so" (sometimes called trailing "so")[1] to refer forwards to something that may be said
- an intensifying adverb.
Referring back
"So" may be used to refer back to something previously mentioned, such as:[2]
- "If she notices, she never says so."
- Speaker 1: "Has somebody called an ambulance?” Speaker 2: ”I believe so.”
Other possibilities include:
- "Absolutely so."
- "How so?"
- "Indeed so."
- "It is not so."
- "It is so."
- "Is it so?"
- "Is that so?"
- "...just so."
- "...less so."
- "...like so."
- "...made it so."
- "...make it so."
- "...more so."
- "Not so."
- "...or so."
- "So?"
- "...so and so."
- "Why so?"
Dangling so
A dangling "so" in conversation invites the listener to articulate or consider the implications of the information provided without the speaker having to articulate it himself or herself.[3][4] It has been interpreted as sometimes a form of bragging.[5] A dangling "so" in conversation may be represented in text as “so” followed by an ellipsis symbol "…".[1][6] Examples of dangling "so":
- “Yeah, it’s pretty exciting, though we’re not really sure whether it will work out, so…”
- Speaker 1: “How was your date?“ Speaker 2: “Well, he didn’t show up, so…“
Intensifying adverb
"So" may close a sentence as an intensifying adverb, such as in “I love her so.”. "So" in the middle of a sentence can also be an intensifying adverb, such as in “I so love her.”.[6]
See also
References
- 1 2 So What? What it means when people leave the word “so” dangling at the end of a sentence The Atlantic Julie Beck 26 Aug 2015
- ↑ Oxford Dictionaries
- ↑ So… why is everyone saying “so?" USA Today Haley Goldberg 14 Feb 2014
- ↑ It's Okay To End Your Sentences With 'But' Or 'So,' Right? The Huffington Post 15 May 2014 Claire Fallon
- ↑ People who end sentences with 'so': Yes, they're bragging Crain's Chicago Business Lisa Bertagnoli 15 May 2010
- 1 2 Why do people end sentences with “so”? What effect does it have on conversation? Dictionary.com Jane Solomon 21 Aug 2013
Further reading
- Implementing incipient actions: The discourse marker ‘so’ in English conversation Journal of Pragmatics Galina B. Bolden Vol 41 Issue 5 May 2009, P974–998