It happened again!

Someone flouted one of the grammar rules you hold most dear.

Is this what anarchy sounds like?

On the other hand, maybe you feel vindicated whenever someone ends a sentence with a preposition (because it just sounds better that way  #fightme). 

But when it comes to the word “so,” what are the rules for putting a comma before or after it?

English is a living language, after all.

Some rules just don’t make it.

Blame evolution. 

So, what’s a writer to do?

A Comma Before or After “So”? All You Need to Know

Once you read through the following rules and examples, you’ll know when to use a Comma with so and when to leave it out. When in doubt, listen for the pause. 

Comma After So At Beginning of Sentence

If you’re using “so” as a conjunctive adverb at the beginning of a sentence—which happens often enough in dialogue and other less formal writing—a comma comes right afterward. 

Examples:

• “I only have just enough in the bank to pick up some bread and eggs. So, I won’t be buying any frozen pizzas today.” 
• “You’ve spent an awful lot of time talking and laughing together over the past few weeks. So, I’m guessing divorce is off the table? Or am I wrong?”

Notice in that second example how a comma goes after the “so” but not after the “Or” at the beginning of the next sentence. The reason for that is the implied pause, however brief, that often comes after the word “so.” 

It’s that implied pause that often gets writers to add the comma, even if they’re not 100% sure it belongs there.  

On the other hand, the “or” takes about as much auditory space as the words that follow. It doesn’t need a pause for effect. It takes the same number of beats as the syllable that comes afterward. 

You’ll hear the same pause in the next examples. 

Commas After So Before a Parenthetical 

Whether the “so” comes at the beginning of a sentence or somewhere in the middle, you need a comma right after it if it precedes a Parenthetical expression. 

Examples: 

• “So, after you graduate, what are your plans?” 
• “So, as soon as he hung up, he went upstairs to talk to her.”
• “So, before you get angry, hear me out.”

If, on the other hand, the word “so” is part of the parenthetical expression (rather than separate), the comma comes before it, as you’ll soon see.

Commas Before So

The next time someone asks you, “Do you put a comma before so,” you can tell them, “So glad you asked! And yes, you do —  in one of the following two cases: 

1. When it’s being used as a coordinating conjunction
2. When it’s part of a parenthetical expression.” 

Examples with “so” as a coordinating conjunction: 

• “I had no idea where I left my pants, so I didn’t wear any. I wore a dress.” 
• “He left her standing at the side of the road, so that’s the last time I ask him to take her out for driving practice.” 
• “They were out of butter pecan ice cream, so I went with cherry chocolate fudge.” 

Examples with “so” as part of a parenthetical expression: 

• “The leader of the study group, so tired she could barely keep her eyes open, announced it was time to call it a night.” 
• “The dog, so cold it was visibly shivering, walked slowly toward the blanket near the woodstove and curled up against the bricks.” 

So, if the comma is part of a parenthetical, the comma comes before. If “so” comes before and is separate from the parenthetical, the comma comes afterward. 

Examples of before and after: 

• Part of a parenthetical (comma before): “She walked out the door, so angry at what he’d said she couldn’t speak.”
• Preceding a parenthetical (comma after): “So, despite her anger, she stayed and finished the project.” 

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When is a Comma Unnecessary?

You don’t need a comma before or after so in the following cases: 

#1: When “so” is an adverb of degree (like “very”)

Examples: 

• “He’s so busy he doesn’t have time for a pet.” 
• “She’s so mad at me right now, and I’m at a loss for what to say.” 

#2: When “so” means “also” — as an additive adverb

Examples: 

• “He fell into the hole, and, five seconds later, so did she.”
• “We’re here for a reason, and so are you.”

#3: When “so” is a subordinating conjunction

Examples: 

• “He drew the curtain shut so as to give her more privacy.”
• “He installed a security camera so as to scare off would-be burglars.” 

None of the dependant clauses after the word so could stand alone (hence the word “dependant”). This is what sets this construction apart from the use of “so” as a coordinating conjunction joining two independent clauses. 

Examples: 

• Coordinating: “We didn’t recognize the stranger at the front door, so we didn’t open it.”  
• Subordinating: “When we don’t recognize someone at the door, we keep it locked so as to stay safe while our parents are gone.” 

Put aside for the moment that the second example—and both examples of “so” as a subordinating conjunction—would sound better without the “so as.” 

This is one of those cases where we’ll sacrifice simplicity and elegance to make a point. 

Now that you’ve seen all the rules and examples regarding commas before and after “so,” which ones did you find most helpful? And what’s your biggest takeaway? 

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