So - The Coordinating Conjunction
Most students know how to use 'so'. It is a coordinating conjunction, which means it can join two independent clauses. It is used to show cause & effect (result). For example:
I was hungry, so I ate.
The printer was broken, so we couldn't use it.
[cause], so [effect]
So has a meaning of 'therefore' here (except 'therefore' is not a conjunction).
So (that) - The Subordinating Conjunction
So that has a meaning similar to 'in order to/in order that'. It describes the purpose of an action. It begins a subordinate clause (a clause that is dependent on a main clause). For example:
The teacher spoke slowly so that his students would understand the lesson.
Here, his students understanding the lesson is the purpose/aim of the action of speaking slowly. It is not the result. In this sentence, we don't know the result. We only know that he spoke slowly for the purpose of helping them understand.
She exercises so that she can lose weight. (this is her purpose for exercising)
We should recycle so that our children can enjoy our planet in the future. (purpose, not effect)
The Confusing Part: 'That' is optional in 'So that'
You can say either of these:
She exercises so that she can lose weight. (purpose)
She exercises so she can lose weight. (purpose)
The word (that) is optional.
| To talk about purpose | so | so that |
| To talk about a result (effect) | so |
In other words, anytime you can say 'so that', you can also shorten it to 'so'. However, you cannot use 'so that' if you are talking about the effect (result) of an action (you can only use so). For example:
It was cheap so that I bought it. (we are talking about the result, not purpose)
What's the answer here?
1. The movie was boring, _______ we stopped watching it. (show answer)
2. She is studying Spanish ______ she can communicate when she moves to Spain next year. (show answer)
I made this page so that you can understand the difference between these two words.
Try some more exercises on the difference between so and so that below.
Practice Exercises: So vs. So that
In these exercises, choose between 'so' as a coordinating conjunction used for cause and effect, and 'so (that)' as a subordinate conjunction used to show purpose.
- The piano was heavy we needed two people to move it.
- No one invited him to the party he didn't come.
- We're painting our house it will look better.
- the children would listen, the teacher raised her voice.
- I am a man I am not a woman.
- We hired a cleaner our house is clean now.
- We hired a cleaner our house would be clean for the party.
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If you have any questions, please leave a comment below.
-- Matthew Barton / Creator of Englishcurrent.com (ESL)
Thank you very much!
Many thanks
I really understand the difference between So & So that from your site.
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I perfectly understood the difference between So & So that with your explanations.
Thanks teacher
So useful and clear, Thanks a lot
It was nice and easy
I like doing this so or so that its fun using them and I wanna improve on my mistakes
that really helped thank ^_^
Fun and interesting and that had helped a lot.Thanks!
The use of “SO” is something difficult for me
Thanks…this was really helpful
Thank u soo much I understood the difference
Awesome! Thank you so much!
I was struggling to explain the difference to my students, and you have cleared up my (and their) confusion.
Thank you so much for your clarification and we need to continue with you.
Thanks so much.
It was a struggle between so and so that. Through the article, I understand the difference between them.
How can we get the answers
Hello. Please try again. I have changed a setting to enable mobile users to do the quiz.
He buys bike so that he can ride
Correct! But the sentence would probably be in the past tense, e.g. “He bought a bike so that he can ride.”
Hi, I just made a test on how to use “so” or “so that” on another webside and I failed. I was frustrated and looked for another side to learn the correct use. And when I came by and I finnally got it! Thanks a lot!!!!
But reading that the that in so that is not necessarily leaves me wondering: why do I struggle to crasp it???? ;-)
Thanks. It is clearer now.
Very nice
Thank you so much.
Thank you so much
I am doing these exercises so that I can teach my students better on this topic. Thank you ><