Viewing 36 posts - 1 through 36 (of 36 total)
  • Starting a sentence with 'so'
  • glasgowdan
    Free Member

    I don’t think it’s good practice really. Often I hear people starting a whole new line of conversation with the word, but I guess the way I was taught was that the word should be used as a response to something.

    Am I right or has the English language moved on since I was at school?

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    So what?

    weeksy
    Full Member

    I have them with the wife…

    it’s usually…

    “So, i was thinking i may buy a motorbike this weekend…..”

    Which actually translates to

    “i bought a bike yesterday, but i’m building you up to it gently and pretending i’m waiting for your approval”

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    binners
    Full Member

    The worst is when they start with ‘so….’

    then finish the sentence with a questioning ‘….yeah?’

    I work with someone who does this all the time. Just about every sentence. He may die in a hail of bullets soon

    Klunk
    Free Member

    “So, here’s the deal” seems to be a staple opener in the big bang theory

    anonymouse
    Free Member

    It is wrong.

    wwaswas
    Full Member

    That thing where people start a sentence with so. Well, that.

    PeterPoddy
    Free Member

    English is a rich and varied language, you can pretty much do what you like with it. I think there’s more to worry about then the word ‘so’ at the start of a sentence. 🙂

    patriotpro
    Free Member

    So, what’s the problem again?

    joao3v16
    Free Member

    My line manager starts most of his sentences with ‘So…’ during team meetings.

    I think it’s just an alternative to ‘Um’ or ‘Erm’ whilst he’s formulating what he’s going to say next.

    konabunny
    Free Member

    So much time has been wasted trying to condescend to others about the way they speak.

    StefMcDef
    Free Member

    It’s a rhetorical device redolent of the type if seen-it-all, sneering, cynical bawhum you’d get from Top Gear presenters and the like.

    “So, they started letting immigrants clean racetracks.”

    You can imagine Richard Hammond narrating a whole programme, starting every sentence with the word, “So…”, followed by a world-weary pause. 😕

    wordnumb
    Free Member
    nedrapier
    Full Member

    There’s plenty of well written prose out there in the FT, the Economist, the King James bible, etc, which breaks “grammatical rules”.

    I suspect a lot of the annoyance comes more from pre-existing feelings about the writer/speaker than anything else. “There’s that **** ____, being a **** again, starting his sentences with a conjuction. How I loathe and detest his use of the english language him.”

    yunki
    Free Member

    ou can imagine Richard Hammond narrating a whole programme, starting every sentence with the word, “So…”, followed by a world-weary pause.

    when you put it like that I can see the problem..

    otherwise
    [video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6MlrPESdDI[/video]

    jon1973
    Free Member

    Am I right or has the English language moved on since I was at school?

    Languages are a living thing and evolve all the time, otherwise we’d all be speaking like we were in a Shakespeare play.

    unknown
    Free Member

    Don’t get me started on “just”.

    “Just wanted to ping you an email…”

    Cretins.

    CaptainFlashheart
    Free Member

    Languages are a living things

    Go and sit in the corner and think about what you’ve just done.

    wwaswas
    Full Member

    just saw this on twitter and it seemed apposite for this thread;

    My colleague just used the word ‘inbox’ as a verb. Don’t worry, I put him straight in a headlock and ran him into a filing cabinet.

    chvck
    Free Member

    I started sentences with so and just quite often. I’m not sorry.

    wwaswas
    Full Member

    I started sentences with so and just quite often

    So that’s all in the past now?

    thegreatape
    Free Member

    My boy starts questions with ‘Sure…’ which seems to be a local thing, such as yesterday’s critical enquiry ‘Sure even if Jesus and God caught their willy’s in their zip even they would cry?’

    chvck
    Free Member

    Just wanted to put it out there

    bencooper
    Free Member

    I do it quite often. I think because it’s a way of easing into a question – “So what do you think?” is less direct than “What do you think?”

    Contrarily, it can also add emphasis – “So are you ready to go?” has more oomph to it than “Are you ready to go?”

    CaptainFlashheart
    Free Member

    Australians seem to all use, “Well, look…” as their opening gambit. That alone is just about tolerable, but add in the rising inflection and I find myself reaching for my guns!

    AdamW
    Free Member

    Every Yorkshireman I know starts every conversation with “Now then!”

    loum
    Free Member

    StefMcDef +1

    So, going forwards, it’s clichéd language for clichéd people.

    Anyway, there was a Radio4 program on the subject and their top tip was to simply respond to any sentence starting with so by starting your next sentence with “anyway”.

    mrlebowski
    Free Member

    And the issue is what exactly?

    jon1973
    Free Member

    Go and sit in the corner and think about what you’ve just done.

    Sorry sir

    (poke my tounge out while I think you’re not looking)

    CaptJon
    Free Member

    Fowler’s agrees with OP, sort of.

    higgo
    Free Member

    Language is correct through usage.

    kimbers
    Full Member

    my pet hate is people that end sentences with ‘ no? ‘

    vickypea
    Free Member

    It always makes me laugh when people say “yeah…no” in every other sentence!

    higgo
    Free Member

    always?

    buzz-lightyear
    Free Member

    Do you not know there is a difference between formal and informal speaking and writing?

    michaelmcc
    Free Member

    It’s just a filler, innit.

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