so that

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Taka

#323908 Sun, 04 Feb 07 10:19 AM

so that

(1) In order that, as in I stopped so that you could catch up.

(2)With the result or consequence that, as in Mail the package now so that it will arrive on time.

(3)so ... that. In such a way or to such an extent that, as in The line was so long that I could scarcely find the end of it. All three usages date from a.d. 1000 or earlier, and the first two are sometimes put simply as so, as in I stopped so you could catch up, or Mail it now so it will arrive on time.

Now, using the definitions above, how do you explain this sentence grammatically?

In their attitudes to work, marriage, politics and sexual morality, young Japanese are moving closer to the views of young Westerners and away from those of the older Japanese---so much so indeed that it is possible to speak of the existence of a generation gap.

Taka

Joined on Tue, Sep 7 2004

Japan

Senior Member (2,266)

Dates, Marriage

Mister Micawber

#323912 Sun, 04 Feb 07 10:26 AM

It is none of 1-3, Taka. 'That...gap' is a dependent clause; it is not in collocation with 'so'. 'So' is a pronomial refering to 'moving closer, etc'.

Mister Micawber

Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004

Yokohama

Veteran Member (21,213)

'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.'

Clauses