
Originally Posted by
kgcole
Btw I know that “that elegant” is more colloquial than “so elegant”. Could you comment on my using it here, please?
Well, your use of “that elegant” is correct. To say “so elegant” would be incorrect. I can’t think of a grammatical rule that prohibits its use, but I would say that “so” is most often used as a transitional word in conversation, “So, what do you think about that?” or “I think so.” To say “so
elegant” would sound uneducated. A better substitute would be “as elegant” in comparison; for instance, “That blue dress is not as elegant as the red dress.” You could also introduce the comparison in a previous sentence as in, “The blue dress is beautiful. I also think the red dress is not as elegant (as the blue dress).”