| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. |
A Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English. 1996.
|
Page 34
|
| |
so
| | so or
so that in purpose clauses
| | Many people insist that so must be followed by that in formal writing when used to introduce a clause giving the reason for or the purpose of an action: He stayed so that he could see the movie a second time. But since many respected writers use so for so that in formal writing, it seems best to consider the issue one of stylistic preference: The store stays open late so (or so that) people who work all day can buy groceries. | 1 |
| so or
so that in result clauses
| | It is acceptable to use either so or so that to introduce clauses that state a result or consequence: The Bay Bridge was still closed, so (or so that) the drive from San Francisco to the Berkeley campus took an hour and a half. | 2 |
| so as a connector in a narrative
| | So the guy sits down at our table and pulls up his chair so he can be closer to me. So he starts telling us about his uncle…. So is frequently used in informal speech to string together the elements of a narrative. But readers of formal writing generally expect connections to be made more explicit. | 3 |
| so as intensive
| | People sometimes object to the use of so as an intensive meaning “to a great degree or extent”: We were so relieved to learn that the deadline had been extended. This usage is most common in informal contexts, perhaps because unlike very, it presumes that the listener or reader will be sympathetic with the speaker’s evaluation of the situation. Thus you would be more likely to say It was so unfair of them not to invite you than to say It was so fortunate that I didn’t have to put up with your company. For just this reason, you can sometimes put intensive so to good use in more formal contexts to invite the reader to take the point of view of the speaker or subject: The request seemed to her to be quite reasonable; it was so unfair of the manager to refuse. Just remember not to overdo it. | 4 |
| More at
as. | 5 |
split infinitive
| | To boldly go where no one has gone before. This phrase, so familiar to Star Trek fans, presents us with the dilemma of the split infinitive—an infinitive that has an adverb between the to and the verb. Split infinitives have been condemned as ungrammatical for nearly 200 years, but it is hard to see what exactly is wrong with saying to boldly go. Its meaning is clear. It has a strong rhythm than reinforces the meaning. And rearranging the phrase only makes it less effective. We may also want to go boldly where no one has gone before, but it doesn’t sound as exciting. And certainly no one wants to go where no one has gone before boldly. That is a different voyage entirely. | 6 |
| In fact, the split infinitive is distinguished both by its length of use and the greatness of its users. People have been splitting infinitives since the 14th century, and some of the most noteworthy splitters include John Donne, Samuel Pepys, Daniel Defoe, Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Johnson, William Wordsworth, Abraham Lincoln, George Eliot, Henry James, and Willa Cather. | 7 |
| The only rationale for condemning the construction is based on a false analogy with Latin. The thinking is that because the Latin infinitive is a single | 8 |
| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. Copyright © 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
|
|
