I’m really not a member of the grammar police, and I typically feel free to break the laws of English if it emphasizes my point, or if it simply sounds correct and/or less formal in most situations. Sometimes sentences just sound better with that preposition on the end, and sometimes “you just gotta” say it like you mean it. But this whole business of inserting the word “so” at the beginning of sentences for no good reason just irks me. Not so much when used randomly at the beginning of a sentence somewhere down in the middle-to-end of a paragraph, where it serves the purpose of tying thoughts together, but when it is simply slapped on at the front there, leading you in to something generally underwhelming.
So I was thinking that there must be a reason for why people do it. So I figured, “Ah-ha! An attention-getter!” So when you you put “so” at the beginning of a sentence, people perk up! They pay attention! So, here’s why. Because usually when you use the word “so” it means that you are about to get to the point of what you are trying to say. You are “wrapping things up”. So if you just stick it right out there, not only at the beginning of the sentence, but at the beginning of the paragraph at the beginning of the post/blog/chapter, then WOW, you are a person who knows what you are talking about!
So that’s the blog. So trivial are my thoughts today.
So I happen to know that you are sometimes the grammar police. So what? So someone needs to be! So good for you!
So do I know what I’m talking about?
So metimes………..
So, myself thinks trishatruly is more of a grammar police than me is anyways!
hi. You’re a new blogger! (Or it looks like it)
You have clever, breezy writing. I had to kind of guess where to read your blog based on your sign in name.
There’s a place, under dashboard, if you hit the ‘Users’ option up above, then go to the ‘Your Profile’ tab, on the left side if you fill in your blog address under ‘Website:’ then all your comments will link back to your blog.
Which you may or may not want to have happen, but I found your posts fun to read and others likely will too.
Welcome to WordPress.
Thanks for the tip, amuirin! I will go make that adjustment. Thanks for the compliment on my writing too.
Now I’m totally paranoid. Someone who actually understands grammar. Yikes! I hate making mistakes. The English degree is impressive:)
Starting a sentence with “so” seems to have gained popularity over the past 2 or 3 years and it irks me, too. I think it’s beginning to replace “actually” as the new throwaway word used to start a sentence for no good reason.
I Googled “sentence with So” just to find out why almost every computer geek in the tech community at my school has this strange verbal tic. At first, I thought it was a secret handshake of sorts, but it seems to be more of a grammar virus. I cringe every time I hear “So…”. When used to answer a question, it sounds misplaced, condescending and aggressive.
ie:
q: “How do you write a line of code in C#?”
a: “So, (abrupt pause) the best way to write a line of C# is blah blah blah”
I just can’t get used to it. No thanks. I’m issuing a mass citation.
I’ve noticed this recently on NPR call-in shows. It drives me nuts.
So, I work with a bunch of people younger than myself, and they all start their sentences with “So”, and it drives me nuts. Even worse, I find myself doing it.
The word “SO”is equivalent to the word “Therefore”. Using it at the start of a sentence or phrase implies that you have already said something prior to this which you are now going to summarize. If you simply drop the word “SO” abruptly with no preamble, it makes absolutely no sense, and just sounds smart alecky.
Listening to too much NPR, PRI, et al, and this has become so frequent there, from interview subjects (mostly from experts in science, sociological matters, history and such, rather than arts and entertainment types). It bothers me only mildly, but I’ve begun to collect instances of it, in addition to my favorite collectible, which is people saying the opposite of what they mean to say (usually involving inept usage of multiple negatives).