在正式的上下文中,我們可以使用 so 來代替連綴動詞後面的形容詞 (片語)。例如:
- The situation became intolerable five years ago and it remains so even today. (局勢於五年前變得無法容忍,時至今日依然如此)
→ It remains intolerable even today. - Tom is very selfish. He’s been so since his childhood. (湯姆很自私。他從小到大一直都是這樣)
→ He’s been very selfish since his childhood.
在做比較時,我們可以使用 more so 和 less so 做為替代詞,其中 so 是代替形容詞。例如:
- Amy seems cold and distant, Mary more so. (艾美似乎很冷漠,不容易接近,瑪麗似乎更冷漠,更不容易接近)
→ Mary seems more cold and distant than Amy. (瑪麗似乎比艾美更冷漠,更不容易接近) - Teresa has always been very friendly, her husband less so. (泰瑞莎一直很友善,她先生比較不友善)
→ Teresa’s husband is less friendly than her. (泰瑞莎的先生沒有她那麼友善)
與若干動詞連用時,我們經常使用 so 來避免重複受詞子句,尤其是在簡答時。例如:
- Paul: Will Emily be at the meeting today? (保羅:艾茉莉今天會參加會議嗎?)
Peter: I don’t think so. (彼得:我認為不會)
→ I don’t think (that) Emily will be at the meeting today. (我認為艾茉莉今天不會參加會議) - Our manager is going to quit his job because he has inherited a lot of money. My colleague told me so when I came to work today. (我們經理即將辭掉工作,因為他繼承了一大筆錢。今天上班時我同事告訴我這件事)
→ My colleague told me (that) our manager is going to quit his job … (我同事告訴我說我們經理即將辭掉工作,因為 …)