Cambridge Grammar of English Hardback with cd-rom a comprehensive Guide

So meaning as well

Initial so often occurs, with a meaning similar to as well or additive too. This is

particularly common in short responses and with pronoun subjects. Subject-verb

inversion follows:

A: I love those red tulips.

B: So

do I

.

(or: I do too.)

hope

imagine*

presume

reckon*

seem

suppose

think* 

Û

539 Glossary for any unfamiliar terms

Grammar across turns and sentences | 255

---

A: Well, we’re ready.

B: So

are we

. Let’s go.

Well, I’ve packed my case, and 

so

should you

, I think. We haven’t got that

much time.

The negative is formed with initial neither or nor, or with not … either. In the case

of negatives beginning with neither or nor, subject-verb inversion follows:

Frank didn’t go and 

neither

did we

in the end.

A: Oh, I haven’t got any small change at all.

B: Nor

have I

.

A: I haven’t got a fork.

B: Oh, 

Anne has

n’t

either. I’ll get some.

A–Z

71 So for further examples

COHESION AND COMPARATIVE FORMS

135

Comparative forms across clauses and sentences can signal cohesion:

Jim can play pool better than me. He’s had 

more practice.

(understood: … more practice than I have)

Continuing south, you’ll feel like an insignificant speck at the feet of the city’s

tallest structures. For a 

better view of them and their surroundings, take the

short monorail ride to Harbor Island.

Û

460–471 Comparison

COHESION AND LINKING ADJUNCTS (IN ADDITION, HOWEVER)

136

General

136a

Linking adjuncts explicitly indicate the semantic relationship between two clauses

or sentences or paragraphs (

Û

335

):

[description of the city of Cardenas in Cuba; bite its lip and bide its time means

‘be patient and wait (to get regeneration funds)’]

Many of its buildings, particularly the fortifications overlooking the harbour,

are in need of renovation, but, with Havana and Trinidad eating up most of the

regeneration budget, it seems that Cardenas will have to bite its lip and bide its

time. It is, 

nonetheless, a charming little city and worth a look.

His face and hands were black with dirt. 

In spite of this, Catherine was very

glad to see him and rushed up to kiss him.

256 | Grammar across turns and sentences

Cambridge Grammar of English

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[from a book about how second-language learners acquire vocabulary]

Second-language learners usually have to learn at a rate faster than the

‘natural’ rate of first-language acquisition. 

In addition, early stages of second-

language acquisition involve a relatively small number of high-frequency

words, for which there is a greater pay-off instructionally. 

However, second-

language learners may also have a greater need to use context.

Linking adjuncts can co-occur with coordinating conjunctions (in green in the

examples below), in which case they follow the conjunction:

So I would like you to read the documents in order to improve or at least

confirm your own knowledge and understanding of the network set up here.

But

secondly, it’s important not only that you can answer students’ questions

but you can tell them where the information is available to them.

Something happened to you 

and

as a result your arm was broken.

Linking adjuncts are a large class which includes single-word and phrasal items.

The most common ones are listed in 136b–136j (classified according to the

semantic relations which they signal). Most of these linking adjuncts are more

frequent in formal styles and in writing, but some (marked with *) are more

frequent in informal spoken contexts.