ESL Forum:
Techniques and methods
in Language Teaching
Games, activities
and teaching ideas
Grammar and
Linguistics
Teaching material
Concerning
worksheets
Concerning
powerpoints
Concerning online
exercises
Make suggestions,
report errors
Ask for help
Message board
|
ESL forum >
Ask for help > thus or so
thus or so
keftor
|
thus or so
|
Hello Everyone,
Could you tell me the difference between so and thus, please?
here is the question:
Just as a moth is attracted by a light, ....................... he is fascinated by her.
a- similarly b- in a like manner c- thus d- so
answer: d- so
I have looked up some dictionaries but it still isn �t clear.
Thanks in advance
keftor |
15 May 2011
|
|
|
magneto
|
Hi Ridvan!
Thus can only be used to introduce a clause of result (take a look at these examples and it will be clear for you). So, on the other hand can be used to introduce both a clause of result and to state that two events, situations, etc. are similar (see cases 1 and 2 for clauses of result and case 9 for stating that two situations, etc. are similar here).
The sentence in question here is not expressing a result. It is not because a moth is attracted by light that he is fascinated by her. He is fascinated by her just like a moth is attracted by a light. Therefore, in this case so is the only grammatically and semantically correct option.
Hope that helps
|
15 May 2011
|
|
ueslteacher
|
Well, the key to the answer here is as in the first part of the sentence. as... so - probably meaning to such a degree - in other words the moth is just as much attracted by light as he is fascinated by her. Whereas thus would make no sense here: The moth is attracted by light and in this way/therefore he is fascinated by her? This doesn �t make sense. Sophia P. S. Looks like Elpida and I were posting at the same time:)
|
15 May 2011
|
|
tancredo
|
HI!
I may not be the right person to help you but as I can see it I would say that thus is the result of something, a consequence. For example. The moth was attracted to the light , thus it began a frenetic dancing...
Am I right, natives around the world?
I wish a very good week to everybody in this fantastic site.
All the best
Leonor
|
16 May 2011
|
|
perma
|
Shouldn �t this be "as moth is attracted to light, so is he fascinated by her" rather than "he is"? |
16 May 2011
|
|
spinney
|
"So" is right but it still sounds very odd. It must be something published rather than spoken. Using "thus" in a sentence in spoken English is also unusual. Sounds a tad pompous, in fact. But in written English I would say it �s still quite common. I don�t understand why "her" is used.
|
16 May 2011
|
|
magneto
|
Perma has a also got a point there...It occurred to me this morning, too: The second sentence should be inverted if we use so.
|
16 May 2011
|
|
Apodo
|
The second sentence shouldn �t be inverted. It changes the meaning from �in a similar manner � to �as well � which is not what it means. |
16 May 2011
|
|
magneto
|
Hmmm...Now that didn �t occur to me!
Could you explain it a bit further, Apodo? It �s a detail I wasn �t aware of and it �s always great to learn new things.
Thank you
|
16 May 2011
|
|
Apodo
|
Well, I �ll try. Others may not agree. It is very subtle:
Just as a moth is attracted by a light, ......thus..... he is fascinated by her. (thus = in the same way) (My preference is for thus not so.)
Just as a moth is attracted to light, so he is fascinated by her (Two thoughts connected by so) [but I don �t like this form of the sentence]
Just as a moth is attracted to light, so is he fascinated by her (so = also)
It makes it slightly ambiguous- (he seems as if it could refer to the moth)
Sounds as if the meaning could be:
Just as a moth is attracted by a light, he is also fascinated by her
Just as the moth likes lights it also likes her. (which sounds very odd)
|
16 May 2011
|
|
|