Trisha Shetty (Editor)

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:

Contents

  • a coordinating conjunctive to refer backwards to something previously mentioned
  • a coordinating conjunctive dangling "so" (sometimes called trailing "so") 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:

  • "If she notices, she never says so."
  • Speaker 1: "Has somebody called an ambulance?” Speaker 2: ”I believe so.”

    • Other possibilities include:

    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. It has been interpreted as sometimes a form of bragging. A dangling "so" in conversation may be represented in text as "so" followed by an ellipsis symbol "…". 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".

    References

    So (sentence closer) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA