When these article and blog writers address the subject, one thing they don't address is this: People use "so" verbally but almost never in their writing. Why? People seem to readily use other conjunctions to begin sentences when writing; "because," "but," even "and" can be found easily when analyzing writing styles. But not "so."
So why is this (heh-heh)? Our answer is much more direct than most of the theories we've found. In one theory, Anand Giridharadas of the New York Times traces the origins of using the word "so" to start sentences, and its widespread adoption.
So, it is widely believed that the recent ascendancy of "so" began in Silicon Valley. The journalist Michael Lewis picked it up when researching his 1999 book The New New Thing: "When a computer programmer answers a question," he wrote, "he often begins with the word 'so.'" Microsoft employees have long argued that the "so" boom began with them.
This logical tinge to "so" has followed it out of software. Starting a sentence with "so" uses the whiff of logic to relay authority. Where "well" vacillates, "so" declaims.Our theory: It's become an affectation. It is now, simply, a habit. And a bad one—especially in business—because if the first word of your answer or statement is unnecessary and distracting, you've just moved one step away from clarity. You're complicating, or at the very least, delaying, your thoughts. So by definition (though not in this sentence, because it's drawing a conclusion) you're being less clear than you could be.
Deeper in that Times article, Michael Erard, the author of “Um…: Slips, Stumbles, and Verbal Blunders, and What They Mean” echoes our view when he positions "so" as a new symptom of "our chopped-up and discontinuous communication and conversation."
We further suggest it reflects a struggle to think in an organized way. It tells listeners, I've got an awful lot bouncing around in here, and I'm now going to communicate a thought, but I need to try and reframe first so I'll start with "so." It's a re-grouping mechanism for the speaker—not for the listener. Clearly it's there only as a crutch. In no way does in make the communication better.
Could "so" as a sentence starter become commonplace and, eventually, acceptable? Yes it could, since language evolves. But we at Positively Writing endorse the adoption of new uses of language when they evolve out of necessity or accuracy. Not when they evolve from error.
"So" is not the way to start a sentence. So don't do it (heh-heh) unless you're concluding or perhaps composing poetry. Be direct and you'll be more clear.
