Starting a thread with 'so'

The times when "so" is a problem is when it is used as filler, like "like". Like is meant to be used to draw a comparison to something, but people just use it to mean nothing.
 
Vonhelmet said:
So what? is a legitimate retort. The first clause is implied, being the other person's statement that you're responding to. The "what" is the second clause.

I'll get back to you on "So this is Christmas".
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'So' is being used as an expression (intensifier) rather than a conjunction in 'So this is Christmas'

Which is true in many of the examples of thread titles. Which belies the OP's accusation of degradation of language. It may well be an evolution of language rather than a degradation.
 
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dmpoole said:
I'm not brilliant at grammar but is that the correct use of a comma in that sentence?
I'd never put a comma before 'and'.
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It appears to be superfluous. However the English language is so full of exceptions to the rule and modifiers to the rule that it is difficult to decide without researching each and every sentence you form.
 
The use of a comma before the and up there is incorrect.

Some people put a comma before and when enumerating items in a list - this is the "Oxford Comma", which Vampire Weekend quite legitimately asked whether anyone gives a **** about.
 
Castiel said:
'So' is being used as an expression (intensifier) rather than a conjunction in 'So this is Christmas'
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That's pretty much the conclusion I was coming to. It's a bit like "So this is Christmas". It's a bit of a resignation, which is probably where Lennon was going with it.

Castiel said:
Which is true in many of the examples of thread titles. Which belies the OP's accusation of degradation of language. It may well be an evolution of language rather than a degradation.
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Evolution and degradation are not orthogonal ;)

For one thing most people simply don't know what they're doing with language. For another, there is still the issue that subject lines consisting of just "So..." are extremely unhelpful and should be a bannable offence.
 
Vonhelmet said:
That's pretty much the conclusion I was coming to. It's a bit like "So this is Christmas". It's a bit of a resignation, which is probably where Lennon was going with.
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Quite, I think that the rest of the opening lyric 'and what have you done' implies that.


I don't think the use of 'So...' or similar thread titles should be banned, a thread should be judged on it's content, not on it's headline, or lack of one in this example.
 
Vonhelmet said:
So I was right when I inferred that you don't actually understand the ins and outs of when it is and isn't ok to use conjunctions. Excellent.
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And why would I when it was never a part of my education? :)

People can use 'So' however they want, it doesnt bother me if its used as the first word of a thread title.
 
bhavv said:
And why would I when it was never a part of my education? :)

People can use 'So' however they want, it doesnt bother me if its used as the first word of a thread title.
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It's a great shame that correct grammar is no longer taught.

And I don't particularly mind how people use it, so long as they are broadly using it correctly and not posting annoying one word thread titles.
 
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