so在口语中频频出现,若不准确掌握,极易弄错。它既可用作代词,又可用作连词、副词,表示"这样、如此、因此、所以"等意思。本文拟将其用法作一归纳,供大家学习时参考。

一、 so作代词用,意为"这样、如此",常用来代替整个句子或某一情况的全部,在口语中常与think, hope, say, be afraid等词连用,表示客气、委婉的答复。例如:

(1)-Did Jim get up early today? 今天吉姆起床早吗?

-I think so. 我想是的。

(2)-I think English is more useful than Chinese. What about you? 我认为英语比语文更有用。你呢?

-I don't think so. I think they're both useful. 我不这样想,我认为它们都有用。

(3)-Will it be fine tomorrow? 明天天气好吗?

-I hope so. 但愿如此。

(4)-Oh, do you have to go now? 噢,你必须现在就去吗?

-Yes, I'm afraid so. 是的,恐怕是这样。

注:I'm afraid so.是肯定句,否定句为:I'm afraid not.不能说I'm not afraid so。再如:

-Could I speak to Ann, please? 请让安接电话好吗?

-I'm afraid not. 对不起,你没法和安通话。

二、 so作连词用,意为"因而、所以、结果是、那么、这样看来、为的是、以便、使得"等。例如:

(1)They put their hands behind their backs, so you can't see them. 他们将手放在自己的背后,这样,你就看不到他们的手啦!

(2)Wei Hua's pen was broken, so she needed a new one. 魏华的钢笔坏了,所以她需要买支新的。

(3)So when it's spring in China, it is autumn in Australia. 所以当中国这儿是春季时,在澳大利亚则是秋季。

(4)Here is a shopping list so you won't forget anything. 这儿有一张购物清单,有了它你就不会忘记你要买的东西了。

注:so与because二者作用不同,不能在一个句子中同时出现。例如:因为他病了,所以他没去上学。

[误]Because he was ill, so he didn't go to school.

[正]He didn't go to school because he was ill.

[正]He was ill, so he didn't go to school.

三、so用作副词,在句子中可修饰形容词或副词。

1. 表示程度,意为"十分、那么、如此地"。例如:

(1)When Aunt Huang came back, I was so tired. 当黄阿姨回来的时候,我疲倦极了。

(2)They also have fish and chip shops in Australia, but there are not so many in the USA. 澳大利亚也有许多炸鱼和土豆专卖店,但美国没有这么多。

2. 常用于口语,意为"非常、很、极"。例如:

(1)- found it in my bag five minutes ago. 五分钟前我在我的袋子里找到了它。

-I'm so glad. 我很高兴。

(2)I'm so glad that you've come. 你们来了,我非常高兴。

3. 用在"so+助动词/系动词/情态动词+主语"的倒装结构中,表示前面所述的肯定情况也适合于后者,即"甲如何,乙也一样"。例如:

(1)I do well in English, and so does my sister. 我英语学得好,我妹妹也学得好。

(2)-In England people eat a lot of beef. 在英国人们吃许多牛肉。

-So do we. 我们也是。

(3)We can speak Chinese, so can Mary. 我们会讲汉语,玛丽也会。

注:这一结构的主语可以是名词或人称代词,但它和上文的主语不是同一人物。

另外,这一结构的否定式是"neither / nor +助动词/系动词/情态动词+主语"。例如:

-He doesn't know Wei Hua's address. 他不知道魏华的地址。

-Neither do I. 我也不知道。

注:这里的neither / nor的意思是"也不,也没有。"

4. 用在"so+主语+助动词/系动词/情态动词"的结构中,用于重述前面的事实,并表示赞同或强调,有"的确如此"之意。例如:

(1)-He will go to England for his holiday tomorrow. 他明天要去英国度假。

-So he will. 确实如此。

(2)-The film is very interesting. 这部影片很有趣。

-So it is. 的确如此。

注:这一结构的主语和上文的主语通常是同一人物。

5. 用在"So it is(或was)with+另一主语"的结构中。这种结构表示这一主语的情况也如此,主要用于上文出现两个以上的句子(情况),而在逻辑上这些句子表现同一主语,通常是肯定和否定的混合句。例如:

(1)Zhang Hua likes dancing but isn't good at dancing. So it is with Liu Ming. 张华喜欢跳舞,但不擅长。刘明也是如此。

(2)The old man was very ill and was sent to hospital. So it was with his son. 这位老人病得厉害,被送往医院。他儿子也是这样。

6. 用在"主语+动词do(某种形式)+so"结构中。此句型用以避免重复前文所述动词及其宾(状)语,表示该句型的主语做了前文中已提到的动作,此句型中的主语可与前句主语相同,也可以是另外的人。例如:

(1)The teacher asked us to read the text and we did so. 老师让我们读这篇课文,我们就读了。

(2)He said he would do it and he did so. 他说他要做这件事,他真的做了。

四、 与so构成的句型、词组及短语:

1. not so(as)…as,表示"甲在某方面不及乙"。例如:

(1)Luckily the weather was not so wet as it is today. 幸亏那天的天气不像今天这样糟。

(2)He doesn't run so fast as I. 他没有我跑得快。

2. so far意为"迄今、到目前为止",常用于现在完成时中。例如:

(1)So far, no man has travelled farther than the moon. 到目前为止,人类还没有到过比月球更远的地方。

(2)I have not finished the work so far. 到目前为止,我还没有完成这项工作。

3. so…that…意为"如此……以致……"。例如:

(1)They were so pleased to see each other that they forgot everything else. 他们彼此相见,高兴得连别的什么事情都忘了。

(2)The suit was so expensive that I could not buy it.这套衣服太贵,我买不起。

注:"so…that…"之间一般用形容词或副词,但有时也可以跟名词。常见句型是:so + adj. +(an)+单数可数名词+that…。例如:

(1)He is so good a teacher that we all like him. (=He is such a good teacher that we all like him.) 他真是个好老师,我们都喜欢他。

(2)This is so interesting a book that he wants to read it again.(= This is such an interesting book that he wants to read it again.) 这本书真有趣,他想再看一遍。

4. so that…表示"以便、为了、使……能够"。例如:

(1)Speak clearly so that they may understand you. 说得清楚些,这样他们能听懂你的意思。

(2)I'm going to take an early bus so that I may get there in time. 我打算乘早班公共汽车,这样我就能及时赶到那儿。

(3)I'll give you all the facts so that you can judge for yourself. 我把所有的事实都告诉你,这样你就能自己作出判断。