geet_ge wrote:Can someone guide me to a rule as to when to use 'to do so' v/s 'to do it'
Hi,
Consider these examples:
1. Joe’s teacher has given him a tough project and he needs someone’s help to do it.
2. Joe needs to prepare a list of all the projects assigned this year and to do so he needs to meet all the teachers.
In
sentence 1, pronoun “it” is referring to the noun “project”. Pronouns can only refer to a noun or other pronoun. They cannot refer to any other part of speech in a sentence. Since in sentence 1, Joe needs someone’s help to do the “project”, pronoun “it” has been used to refer to that noun.
In
sentence 2, what Joe has been asked to do? He has been asked “to prepare” a specific list. Now, “to prepare” is an infinitive, a to+verb form and cannot be referred to by using a pronoun. Hence, to refer to this action, we use “so”.
Take another set of example:
1. Swimming is good for health and I’m doing it regularly. In this sentence, use of “it” is correct because “Swimming” is a noun.
2. I am writing a letter to the principal and I am doing so for everyone’s welfare. Here, “so” refers to “am writing a letter” that cannot be referred to using a pronoun.
Hope this helps.
Shraddha
