so that
so that — idiom
1. used to connect an action to its intended goal or purpose; introducing a clause
used to connect an action to its intended goal or purpose; introducing a clause that says why someone does something.
Indra left work early so that she could pick up her son from school.
modal: could for ability in purpose clause
Haruto set an alarm so that he would not miss the morning meeting.
modal: would + negative for purpose
The librarian moved the picture books so that younger children could reach them.
Yael saved money each month so that she could visit her grandmother.
Omar wrote down the address so that he would not forget it later.
- in order that
more formal; common in academic and legal writing
- to
shorter infinitive form; only works when the subject is the same in both clauses ('She left early to catch the bus' = 'She left early so that she could catch the bus')
- so as to
somewhat formal; followed by infinitive ('He spoke quietly so as not to wake the baby')
文法句型
so that + clause with modal (can/could/will/would)
用法筆記
Commonly followed by a clause with 'can', 'could', 'will', 'would', 'may', or 'might'. Without a modal verb, the clause is read as a result rather than a purpose.
常見錯誤
2. used to connect a situation to its consequence; introducing a clause that states
used to connect a situation to its consequence; introducing a clause that states what happened as a result of the earlier action or event.
A heavy storm damaged the roof, so that rain water leaked into the kitchen below.
result clause with past tense indicative
Mira's suitcase was extremely large, so that she struggled to fit it into the taxi.
The cafe became popular, so that customers often waited half an hour for a table.
Adaeze spoke very quietly, so that only people in the front row could hear her.
- so
shorter and more informal; standard in everyday speech
- such that
more formal; often used in technical or mathematical writing
- with the result that
fuller form; same register as 'so that' in result sense
文法句型
clause + so that + clause (indicative)
用法筆記
More common in formal written English than in everyday conversation. In casual speech, speakers usually use 'so' alone to introduce a result ('I was tired, so I went to bed'). Distinguish from 'so ... that' (degree structure: 'The bag was so heavy that I could not carry it').