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do so/it/that

do so​

The expression do so can be used to avoid repeating a verb and its object or complement. It is usually rather formal.

  • ‘Put the car away, please.’ ‘I’ve already done so.’
  • Eventually she divorced Joshua. It was a pity she had not done so earlier.
  • He told me to get out, and I did so as quietly as possible.

do so and do it/that​

Do it and do that can be used instead of do so.

  • I promised to get the tickets, and I will do so/it as soon as possible.
  • She rode a camel: she had never done so/that before.

We use do so mainly to refer to the same action, with the same subject, that was mentioned before. In other cases we prefer do it/that or do alone.

  • I haven’t got time to get the tickets. Who’s going to do it? (not … Who’s going to do so?)
  • ‘I rode a camel in Morocco.’ ‘I’d love to do that.’ (not … to do so.)
  • I always eat peas with honey. My wife never does. (not … My wife never does so.)

do so/it/that: deliberate actions​

Do so/it/that are mainly used to refer to deliberate dynamic actions. We do not usually use these expressions to replace verbs like fall, lose, like, remember, think, own, which refer to involuntary actions or states.

  • I like the saxophone, and I always have (done). (AmE ... and I always have.) (not … and I have always done so/it/that.)
  • She lost her money. I wasn’t surprised that she did. (not … that she did so/it/that.)
  • I think Jake’s wrong. I did when he first spoke to me. (not … I did so/it/that when …)

Other verbs​

Note that so, it and that are not normally used in this way after auxiliary verbs. It is not possible in standard English to say I can so, She was it or I have that.

note

For so I am, so it is, etc, (see here).

For so do I, so am I, etc, (see here).

For so with say and tell, (see here).

For so with think, believe, hope and similar verbs, (see here).

For auxiliary do as substitute for a whole verb phrase, (see here).

For differences between it and that, (see here).