so that vs. in order that

Question

Hey all! I really wonder if there is a slight difference between "so that" and "in order that". Thanks for your interest.

Inchoateknowledge · Accepted Answer

They are equal in meaning

Goodman · Answer

MehmetDEUHey all! I really wonder if there is a slight difference between "so that" and "in order that". Thanks for your interest.

I see it like this....

Please pay attention to the presentation so that you understand the whole project.

You must listen to the instructions carefully in order to understand the project.

The two are very similar but “in order” is followed by infinitive while “so that” is not.

Also each carries a different tone. “In order” is typically used in a context with a stronger tone.

Inchoateknowledge · Answer

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=in+order+that&r=66

Marius Hancu · Answer

Of course, they are not always synonym:

Just So Stories by Kipling, Rudyard - Chapter 9

Yes. Snake and egg,' said Taffy 'So that means dinner's ready.
If you saw that scratched on a tree you'd know it was time to
come to the Cave. So'd I.'

Just So Stories by Kipling, Rudyard - Chapter 7
Stickly-Prickly helped to unlace Tortoise's back-plates, so that
by twisting and straining Slow-and-Solid actually managed to curl
up a tiddy wee bit.

The Lady of the Shroud by Stoker, Bram - Chapter 26
It is within my own knowledge, though as yet unannounced
to you, that Rupert Sent Leger has already obtained a patent, signed
by the King of England himself, allowing him to be denaturalized in
England, so that he can at once apply for naturalization here.

Inchoateknowledge · Answer

your first example is not the idiomatic 'so that'
The poster was interested in the differences of the two idioms with regard to meaning.
The 3rd means 'in order that'.
The second means in a way that -- again not idiomatic, IMO.
Is it not hair-splitting?

"Of course, they are not always synonym" 'Of course' means what here?

(No offence intended.)

Marius Hancu · Answer

I just wanted to mention that so that is more varied in meaning than in order that.

Yes, indeed, the 3rd means "in order that." I missed that one.

MehmetDEU · Answer

So would you use both in a question as choice? I mean, would it be an accurate question if we give both "so that" and "in order that" by means of choice.

Marius Hancu · Answer

MehmetDEUSo would you use both in a question as choice? I mean, would it be an accurate question if we give both "so that" and "in order that" by means of choice.

Yes.

Anonymous · Answer

Marius Hancu Of course, they are not always synonym: Just So Stories by Kipling, Rudyard - Chapter 9 Yes. Snake and egg,' said Taffy 'So that means dinner's ready.

The "so that" in the above quote is not a conjunction. "so" is the conjunction, "that" is is a determiner/pronoun referring to something earlier in the text.

I don't think it is possible to start a sentence with "so that" (as a conjunction). In the COCA corpus, there isn'T a single sentence starting with "so that" out of 62588 instance of "so that".

They are, however, 14 instances of a sentence starting with "in order that".

So, I would say that "so that" and "in order that" are synonymous in meaning. In use, they are slightly different as only "in order that" is used in the sentence-initial position.

Anonymous · Answer

"In order that" is more formal than "so that." A good link to check out is <http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv146.shtml>;.

so that vs. in order that

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