So there.

A Facebook friend questioned “so” as a sentence starter. So I left this comment:

This isn’t a tic. “So” at the start of a sentence is usually a conjunction meaning “therefore.” It’s perfectly okay to start a sentence with a conjunction. And “so” as a conjunction is more concise than “therefore,” plus it doesn’t require a following comma, which makes the sentence flow more easily. So those who have a problem with “so” beginning a sentence need to explain themselves grammatically or linguistically.

Me, I’m thinking that starting a sentence with “so” instead of “therefore” is like starting a sentence with “but” instead of “however.” Not only okay, but often an improvement. What do you think?

Comments

[wm. tyroler]

So let it be written. So let it be done.

[Ray]

Excellent, Wm.—“so” as an adverb starting a sentence.

[Norman Otto Stockmeyer]

You and your Facebook friend are both right. Starting a sentence with So is perfectly correct, but lately its use has become so prevalent as to take on the characteristics of a verbal tic. Writers who are So fans need to be careful not to overuse it.

[Ray]

Norman: Thanks for commenting. Certainly anything can be overdone. I haven’t seen this one overdone in writing, but it’s probably prone to being overdone in speaking.