The word so can be used as a substitute for an entire previous sentence:
Q. Will we have time for breakfast at the airport?
A. I hope so.
(= I hope we will have time for breakfast at the airport.)
Using so in this way means that we can avoid unwieldy repetition.
The negative counterpart of so is not:
Q. Is Jim coming tonight?
A. I hope not.
(= I hope Jim is not coming tonight.)
So can also substitute for a phrase:
The meat was very fresh and so were the vegetables.
Here, so substitutes for the adjective phrase very fresh. The negative counterpart
of phrasal so is neither:
The meat was not very fresh and neither were the vegetables.
The verb do can also be used as a substitute:
They asked me to drive them to the airport and I did.
Do sometimes combines with so as a substitute:
You should save a little money every month. If you do so, you will have no worries.
Here, do so substitutes for save a little money every month.
Q. Will we have time for breakfast at the airport?
A. I hope so.
(= I hope we will have time for breakfast at the airport.)
Using so in this way means that we can avoid unwieldy repetition.
The negative counterpart of so is not:
Q. Is Jim coming tonight?
A. I hope not.
(= I hope Jim is not coming tonight.)
So can also substitute for a phrase:
The meat was very fresh and so were the vegetables.
Here, so substitutes for the adjective phrase very fresh. The negative counterpart
of phrasal so is neither:
The meat was not very fresh and neither were the vegetables.
The verb do can also be used as a substitute:
They asked me to drive them to the airport and I did.
Do sometimes combines with so as a substitute:
You should save a little money every month. If you do so, you will have no worries.
Here, do so substitutes for save a little money every month.