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so and not with hope, believe, etc

Instead of that-clauses​

We often use so after believe, hope, expect, imagine, suppose, guess, reckon, think, be afraid, instead of repeating words in a that-clause.

  • ‘Is Alex here?’ ‘I think so.’ (not … I think that Alex is here.)
  • ‘Do you think we’ll be in time?’ ‘I hope so.’ (not I hope.)
  • ‘Did you lose?’ ‘I’m afraid so.’

We do not use so before a that-clause.

  • I hope that we’ll have good weather. (not I hope so, that we’ll have good weather.)

Note the special use of I thought so to mean ‘my suspicions were correct’.

  • Empty your pockets. Ah, I thought so! You’ve been stealing chocolate again.

So is not used after know (see here).

  • ‘You’re late.’ ‘I know.’ or I know that. (not I know so.)

Negative structures​

We can make these expressions negative in two ways.

Grammar

affirmative verb + not

  • ‘Did you win?’ ‘I’m afraid not.’
  • ‘We won’t be in time for the train.’ ‘No, I suppose not.’
Grammar

negative verb + so

  • ‘You won’t be here tomorrow?’ ‘I don’t suppose so.’
  • ‘Will it rain?’ ‘I don’t expect so.’

Hope and be afraid are always used in the first structure.

  • I hope not. (not I don’t hope so.)

Think is more common in the second structure.

  • I don’t think so. (More common than I think not.)

so at the beginning of a clause​

We can use so at the beginning of a clause with say, hear, understand, tell, believe and a number of other verbs. This structure is used to say how the speaker learnt something.

  • It’s going to be a cold winter, or so the newspaper says.
  • ‘Emily’s getting married.’ ‘Yes, so I heard.’
  • ‘The Professor’s ill.’ ‘So I understand.’