Page 165 - Advanced English Grammar in Use

S o ( I t h i n k s o ; s o I h e a r )

f A c a n u s e s o m s t e a d °^ repeating an adjective, adverb, or a whole clause:
• The workers were angry and they had every right to be so. (= angry)
• John took the work seriously and Petra perhaps even more so. (= seriously)
• Bob should be the new director. At least I think so. (= that he should be the new director)

We often use so instead of a clause after verbs concerned with thinking, such as be afraid,
appear/seem (after 'it'), assume, believe, expect, guess, hope, imagine, presume, suppose,
suspect, think, and also after say and after tell (with an object):
• Paul will be home next week - at least we hope so. (= that he will be home next week)
• I found the plan ridiculous, and said so. (- that I found the plan ridiculous)
Notice that we don't use so after certain other verbs, including accept, admit, agree, be certain,
claim, doubt, hear, intend, promise, suggest, be sure:
• Liz will organise the party. She promised (that) she would, (not She promised so.)
• The train will be on time today. I'm sure (that) it will, (not I'm sure so.)

In negative sentences, we use not or not...so:
• Is the Socialist Party offering anything new in its statement? It would appear not.
• They want to buy the house, although they didn't say so directly.
We can use either not or not...so with appear, seem, suppose:
• 'I don't suppose there'll be any seats left.' 'No, I don't suppose so.'(or ...I suppose not.)
We prefer not...so with believe, expect, imagine, think. With these verbs, not is rather formal:
• Had she taken a wrong turning? She didn't think so. (rather than She thought not.)
a We use not with be afraid, assume, guess, hope, presume, suspect:
late?"I^op
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yo
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b
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thin
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• • 'Do you think we'll be late?"I^ope not.'' (not I don't hope so.) )
hop
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don'
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Compare the use of not (to) and not...so with say:
• 'Do we have to do all ten questions?' 'The teacher said not.' (= the teacher said that we
didn't have to) or 'The teacher said not to.' (= the teacher said that we weren't to.)
• 'Do we have to do all ten questions?' 'The teacher didn't say so.' (= the teacher didn't say
that we should do all ten, but perhaps we should)
We can use so in a short answer, instead of a short answer with 'Yes, ...', when we want to say
that we can see that something is true, now that we have been told, particularly if we are
surprised that it is true:
• 'Jack and Martha are here.' 'So they are.' (or Yes, they are.) (= I can see that, too, now)
• 'Mimi has cut her face.' 'So she has.' (or Yes, she has.) (= I can see that, too, now)
In answers like this we use so + pronoun + auxiliary verb (be, have, do, can, could, etc.).
Compare the short answers in:
• 'Your bike's been moved.' 'So it has. (or Yes, it has.) I wonder who did it.' (= I didn't know
before you told me) and
• 'Your bike's been moved.' 'Yes, it has. Philip borrowed it this morning.' (= I knew before
you told me)
We can use so in a similar way in short answers with verbs such as appear (after 'it'), believe,
gather, hear, say, seem, tell (e.g. So she tells me), understand. However, with these verbs, the
pattern implies 'I knew before you told me':
• 'The factory is going to close.' 'So I understand.' (= I've heard that news, too)
• T found that lecture really boring.' 'So I gather. (= I knew that) I saw you sleeping.'
Do so So that...