TinyProf's Grammar Breakdown 🎓

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1. What We're Solving

You're wrestling with some genuinely tricky territory in English grammar — how 'as' and 'so' interact in formal sentences, whether elliptical constructions like 'as so stated' are acceptable, and how these choices affect clarity and formality.

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2. The Approach

To solve this, we need to understand what each word is actually doing in these constructions. Once you see the grammatical role of 'as' and 'so' separately, the combinations will make much more sense. Think of it like understanding what each instrument does before listening to the whole orchestra. 🎶

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3. Step-by-Step Explanation

Step 1: Understand What 'As' Is Doing Here

In phrases like "as stated" or "as mentioned," the word 'as' is functioning as a conjunction meaning roughly "in the manner that" or "which was."

It's creating a reference back to something already said or established.

> "As stated in the contract..." = "In the manner that was stated in the contract..."

✅ This is clean, standard, and widely accepted in formal writing.

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Step 2: Understand What 'So' Is Doing

'So' in this context acts as an adverb of manner, meaning "in that way" or "to that effect."

By itself it can work: > "It was so stated" = "It was stated in exactly that way"

'So' here is adding emphasis or precision — pointing back to a specific manner or content.

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Step 3: What Happens When You Combine 'As' and 'So'?

When you write "as so stated," you're essentially using two words that are doing overlapping jobs.

• 'As' = points back to how something was said
• 'So' = also points back to how something was said

They're doubling up on the same function, which creates redundancy.

Think of it like saying "return back" — 'return' already means to go back, so 'back' is unnecessary. Similarly, 'as so stated' carries a slight awkwardness for the same reason.

> ⚠️ 'As so stated' is not strictly wrong, but it reads as redundant and somewhat archaic in modern English.

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Step 4: Comparing Your Three Versions

Let's line them up:

| Version | Grammatical? | Notes | |---|---|---| | "As it was so stated" | ✅ Yes | Formal, slightly emphatic, a little wordy | | "As was so stated" | ✅ Yes | Slightly elliptical (subject 'it' dropped), still acceptable | | "As so stated" | ✅ Mostly | More elliptical, feels archaic/legal in register |

All three are grammatically defensible, but they carry different tones and levels of formality.

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Step 5: Is 'As So Stated' Too Elliptical?

Ellipsis in grammar means leaving out words that are understood from context. English does this all the time!

> "When [she was] ready, she left."

'As so stated' drops both the subject (it) and the verb (was). That's two omissions, which is why it can feel abrupt or overly compressed to modern ears.

✅ It's acceptable in legal or very formal writing where this style is conventional. ⚠️ In general formal writing, it may feel unnecessarily terse or old-fashioned.

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Step 6: Can You Use 'Mention' Instead of 'State'?

Yes! There's a subtle difference in meaning:

| Word | Implies... | |---|---| | State | A deliberate, formal declaration | | Mention | A more casual or incidental reference |

So "as stated" fits legal/official documents, while "as mentioned" fits conversational or semi-formal contexts.

> "As mentioned earlier, the deadline is Friday." ✅ (casual-formal) > "As stated in Clause 4..." ✅ (legal/official)

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4. The Answer

Here's your practical guide:

• ✅ Best for modern formal writing: "As stated" or "As mentioned" (clean, no redundancy)
• ✅ Acceptable with full clause: "As it was stated" (clear and unambiguous)
• ⚠️ Use with awareness: "As so stated" works but sounds archaic or legal — fine if that's your register!
• 💡 'As' and 'so' together are redundant in most cases — you rarely need both

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5. Memory Tip 🧠

Think of 'as' and 'so' like two people trying to point at the same thing simultaneously. It's not wrong, but it looks a little awkward! Usually, one pointer is enough.

> 'As stated' = one clean pointer ✅ > 'As so stated' = two people pointing at the same thing 👉👉

This level of attention to nuance is what separates good writers from great ones! 🌟