They are never casual in their vernacular, and thus come off cold, superficial, and non-relatable. The 1959 edition of Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style begins two senten… Starting a sentence with the conjunction “so” is, for me, synonymous with liberal elites. The problem is that ‘so’ at the beginning of answer that is not cause and effect makes you sound like an IDIOT. Some of these words work alone and others need to be put into a phrase. In most instances where I see it used in the fiction books I edit, it’s in a quote being spoken by someone. When you hear a labor economist or computer scientist begin an answer with "so," they're usually telling us that things are more complicated than we thought, and maybe more complicated than we really want to know. This is especially the case when they fall short of the knowledge or solution we seek. The Curious Listener: 'So,' Is This A Fad. In his 2001 book The New New Thing, Michael Lewis noted that programmers always started their answers with "so." Ano ang Imahinasyong guhit na naghahati sa daigdig sa magkaibang araw? Why don't libraries smell like bookstores? Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on March 10, 2018: Hello Fuat, these are words that are intended to help you start your sentences with something other than just the subject. But not so fast. There are certain rules to be followed. A third function of “so,” which I believe does merit the use of a comma, is as an interjection. The usage creates the impression that the speaker wants to sound intelligent. Thanks a lot, Virginia. Simply remove the word(s), adjust the grammar, and nothing is ever lost. The material on this site can not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with prior written permission of Multiply. peter maushart on March 28, 2020 12:09 pm The word “look” has become another annoying GO TO word as a first word in a sentence when replying to a statement or question, especially by political figures. So, without further ado, let me give you 35 useful English sentence starters. A reader remarked on my punctuation of so at the beginning of several sentences in a recent post: No commas after “so” as you have used here in your examples! In that context, I would punctuate it to indicate how it would be spoken. Scientists have been using that backstory "so" among themselves since the 1980s, but its recent spread is probably due to the tech boom. So, how was the interview? take, for example, examples, often heard in political commentary when a specific question is asked and the word “so” is used, almost like a start gunshot in a track and field race, to begin the sentence with no reference point at all to conclude a previously expressed thought. Some people even start of their statements with words like “pearls” that don’t relate to anything in the situation but are used simply as a vehicle for tone. When NPR's Weekend Edition asked listeners last year to pick the most-misused word or phrase in the language, that sentence-initial "so" came in in second place, right behind "between you and I" and ahead of venerable bugbears like misusing "literally" and confusing "who" and "whom." “And they began to race.” “For he was a happy lad.” “But no one could cook as well.” “Yet here we are, standing in the place we swore to never return.” So as with the other conjunctions, the rule applies to “so” at the start of a sentence. Harry Shearer airs samples of overuse on “Le Show” sometimes, and it’s comical to hear people—usually young and nervous—starting every sentence with “so” during interviews. Starting sentences with "so" isn't a trend or a thing. But if you were using it at the beginning of a sentence as a synonym for “Thus,” I wouldn’t tend to use the comma: “So Caesar proceeded to the Forum…”. You can disagree with something, and even offer constructive critism on how it should be done correctly, or better, or to fit in with your view of what is best… all without telling folks that they are stupid or ignorant or whatever other debasing thing you can spew. Copyright © 2020 Daily Writing Tips . Firstly, has it ever been wrong to begin a sentence with and or but? THAT’S the beauty of a language which is an amazing amalgamation of so many other languages, and that has been in constant evolution since the first words were written. Repeat them. And stop being a jerk trying to tell everyone else how they should write. For instance in that example given above referring to the interview. Beginning a Sentence with And or But “So, you feel that I’m not telling you the truth,” said John. If you are 13 years old when were you born? When I hear it used it is normally a signal to me not to listen to what a person is saying. New York Times columnist Anand Giridharadas calls "so" the new "um" and "like"; others call it a plague and a fad. To my ear, that backstory "so" is merely a little geeky, but it rouses some critics to keening indignation. We have been breaking this rule all the way from the 9th century Old English Chronicle through the current day. Use them in your daily English conversations with others. However it may strike you, people aren't doing it any more frequently than they were 50 or 100 years ago. "So three gastroenterologists walk into a bar.". Not ever, So, I talked Miss King and she said she was going to a meeting at 3. My mind shuts down and I ignore whatever they say after it. What is another word you can use instead of the word 'so' in a sentence? What is another word that you can use instead of using the word you in a sentence? It has been so for centuries, and even the most conservative grammarians have followed this practice.—CMS, 5.206. So I proceeded as I cleaned the large castle.” An example of this usage mid-sentence would be, “As a man would lead his favorite ox, so I led Israel with my ropes of love,” (Hosea 11:4 The Living Bible). That backstory "so" puts me on guard, too, even when I hear it coming out of my own mouth. Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! It depends on the sentence. The written form I gave them represents a style of casual speech. etc.? I find the amount of disdain being thrown around to be both elitist and… just…what’s the word? Many translations of the Bible are filled with sentence-initial ands and buts, and they even may be found in some of our more beloved—and prescriptive—usage guides. Copyright © 2020 Multiply Media, LLC. Our expressions evolve also. You will improve your English in only 5 minutes per day, guaranteed! Somebody says, "Have you noticed how everybody's saying 'OK' before they hang up the phone?" I’m in agreement with the NYT on this usage. Thanks. You'll also get three bonus ebooks completely free. "So, do the low interest rates help farmers?" and all at once the word starts jumping out at you, even though people have been using it that way forever. The use of the word, so, to begin a conversation becomes more irritating every time I hear it. The word “look” has become another annoying GO TO word as a first word in a sentence when replying to a statement or question, especially by political figures. It's like a lot of other grammatical fixations: Not everybody cares about it, but the ones who do care care a whole lot. Are people starting sentences with "so" more frequently than ever or are we just noticing it more? Hearing “So” before nearly every sentence, especially on the TV during interviews lately, is driving me crazy ! When we use these interjections, they do that require some punctuation (exclamation point, period, comma) follows. I’m trying to cut down, but I don’t know how. Although such feelings persist, authorities like The Chicago Manual of Style do not share them: There is a widespread belief—one with no historical or grammatical foundation—that it is an error to begin a sentence with a conjunction such as and, but, or so. If that "so" were a chapter title in a Victorian novel, it would read, "In which the reader is asked, 'Are you sitting comfortably?' So [that being the case], how was the interview?” Thus, it would be inaccurate to consider it a conjunction. I think with this type of thing it entirely depends on the effect intended. I had to evolve and become more casual, and that’s what corporate America seems to appreciate more is most cases. That prompted the NPR head of standards and practices to calculate how many times the hosts and reporters on the major NPR news programs had started sentences with "so" in a single week in August of 2014. Using “so” at the beginning of speech or writing is simply unnecessary. So, I wonder what was said before. I delight in the help a good editor provides in keeping me to those. Notice I didn’t use that word once ! For, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so are conjunctions that are often used to join independent clauses. Note: If a beginning so is followed by a parenthetical expression, a set of commas is needed: So, misinterpreting Ragland’s order, Nolan told Lucan to send the Light Brigade on a frontal attack against the Russian guns. Find more similar words at wordhippo.com! I’m guilty of using “so” to begin a sentence. In fact, a substantial percentage (often as many as 10 percent) of the sentences in first-rate writing begin with conjunctions. What is the rising action of faith love and dr lazaro? So, what should we do now? ". To not use the terms “so” or “basically” deprives the communication feature of human beings some pleasure in simple, “get-to-the-point” jest, humor and wit. It would be helpful if you could show how you would rewrite the given examples without so. Starting a sentence with ” SO” indicates to me that a previous statement was made or a conversation with another party. But also in written English it is a legitimate device, I think, to convey something akin to informality-for-effect in addition to simple childishness. The example with Caeser is using “so” as a conjunction meaning “due to the previous.” Another use of “so” which would be punctuated the same way is to mean something like “in this way.” For example, “My grandma always taught me to dust very carefully. Just as AND refers to an additional I feel even SO, BUT would not start a sentence but rather supplement the previous remarks. He starts by saying, "So, Macs have two kinds of disk permissions ..." If that "so" were a chapter title in a Victorian novel, it would read, "In which it is explained what the reader must know before his question can be given a proper answer.". I think we need to go with 'thus.'
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