So as a pronoun
In a briefing attended by the Guardian, Martin Hewitt, the force’s assistant commissioner, said: “Young people carrying knives are doing so for a variety of reasons including status, criminality and self-protection, but only around a quarter are affiliated with gangs." (The Guardian.)
Can "so" be interpreted as pronoun "that" in the above? In other words, can it be used (without changing the meaning) like this: "Young people carrying knives are doing that for a variety of reasons including status, criminality and self-protection, but only around a quarter are affiliated with gangs."?
Top answer
Anonymous Can "so" be interpreted as pronoun "that" in the above? In other words, ...? Yes.
- Anonymous Can "so" be interpreted as pronoun "that" in the above?
- In other words, ...?
- Yes.
- It's just that 'doing that' is less idiomatic than 'doing so'.
- Virtually all English speakers expect 'doing so' at that point in the sentence.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
AnonymousCan "so" be interpreted as pronoun "that" in the above? In other words, ...?
Yes. It's just that 'doing that' is less idiomatic than 'doing so'. Virtually all English speakers expect 'doing so' at that point in the sentence.
In a way, I suppose 'so' is more of a "pro-adverb" (of manner) more than a true pronoun, so 'doing so' means 'behavin
0
Related Questions