3

Are these sentences the same?

  1. As far as I know, he's going to Chicago.

  2. So far as I know, he's going to Chicago.

  3. In so far as I know, he's going to Chicago.

I think that they are the same in meaning but differ in formality. I think the first one is formal, the second one is informal, and the third one is very formal.

Improve this question
4
  • So far as I know is slightly marked, as formal, in US English. Therefore less common in speech. Insofar as (with variable spacing) is a technical legal term. Don't use it if you aren't a lawyer.
    – John Lawler
    Jan 29, 2013 at 19:47
  • @JohnLawler why is insofar as specifically legal? It is archaic I grant you, but exclusively legal? Could you provide some references for that?
    – terdon
    Jan 29, 2013 at 19:52
  • As far as popular registers*, archaic = legal; any distinction would be important only to a lawyer or an historian.
    – John Lawler
    Jan 29, 2013 at 21:23
  • * as far as they go, that is.
    – John Lawler
    Jan 29, 2013 at 21:24

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
3

As far as I know, he’s going to Chicago.

So far as I know, he’s going to Chicago.

These are identical in meaning and register. They differ only by dialect or individual speaker preference. According to Google Ngrams, they are approximately equal in popularity:

Google Ngram chart showing relationship between *as far as*, *so far as*, and *in so far as*.

In so far as I know, he’s going to Chicago.

This is a less popular variant, which to my ear sounds slightly more formal simply because it’s wordier. In American English the spelling is insofar, meaning “to such an extent”.

Improve this answer
0

The first one is the most common usage in casual and even semi-formal speech/writing.

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.