I don’t quite trust the CEFR level Pearson gives to the following grammar construct.
GSE 58 B1+ is defined:
‘so’ in sentence-final positions as a placeholder (substitute) for verbs and verb phrases.
It was too expensive.
– I told you so.
John is from Seattle.
– I thought so.
‘So’ has many possible meanings and uses near the end of sentences. When we look at the English Vocabulary Profile, probably the closest meaning to a ‘placeholder or substitute’ is ‘mentioned earlier”:
MENTIONED EARLIER
A2used to refer to something that has just been mentioned, especially to give a short answer to a question
I hope so too.
I don’t think so.
James is coming tonight, or so he said.
I hope so.
There are other meanings that will often be found near the end of phrases:
A2 used after a list of things to show that you could have added other similar things
She plays a lot of tennis and squash and so on.INFORMAL
B1 approximately
How many people were at the party?
Not all the examples below will be of ‘so’ as a placeholder. ‘to do so’ is C1.
A search in iWeb for:
* * * * so .
1 DO N’T THINK SO . 10661
2 CONTINUE TO DO SO . 6276
3 DO NT THINK SO . 4839
4 A WEEK OR SO . 4178
But how about lunch in a week or so when I‘ve sorted out all this information?
5 THEM TO DO SO . 4091
6 ABLE TO DO SO . 3666
7 AN HOUR OR SO . 3470
8 YOU TO DO SO . 3463
9 TIME TO DO SO . 3078
10 A MONTH OR SO . 2532
11 SAFE TO DO SO . 2396
12 A YEAR OR SO . 2317
13 CHOOSE TO DO SO . 2123
14 OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO . 2030
15 A DAY OR SO . 1991
16 , AND RIGHTLY SO . 1985
17 UNABLE TO DO SO . 1970
18 WAY TO DO SO . 1938
19 NOT TO DO SO . 1854
20 RIGHT TO DO SO . 1813
21 HOW TO DO SO . 1810
22 REQUIRED TO DO SO . 1769
23 NEED TO DO SO . 1708
24 PERMISSION TO DO SO . 1639
25 DID N’T THINK SO . 1597
26 WISH TO DO SO . 1577
27 HIM TO DO SO . 1571
28 LAST YEAR OR SO . 1569
29 ORDER TO DO SO . 1566
30 NEXT WEEK OR SO . 1560
31 REASON TO DO SO . 1533
32 A MINUTE OR SO . 1513
33 ? I THINK SO . 1461
34 FAILED TO DO SO . 1402
35 US TO DO SO . 1394
36 , AND RIGHTFULLY SO . 1380
37 FREE TO DO SO . 1365
38 ME TO DO SO . 1240
39 IF NOT MORE SO . 1153
40 NEXT YEAR OR SO . 1130
41 ABILITY TO DO SO . 1107
42 PAST YEAR OR SO . 1104
43 DID NT THINK SO . 1028
44 NEXT MONTH OR SO . 1026
45 , I THINK SO . 1010
46 IT TO DO SO . 990
47 THIS IS NOT SO . 927
48 OBLIGATION TO DO SO . 920
49 TO MAKE IT SO . 916
50 10 MINUTES OR SO . 882
51 HAPPY TO DO SO . 862
52 ? I HOPE SO . 846
53 10 YEARS OR SO . 842
54 NOT ALREADY DONE SO . 842
55 ENOUGH TO DO SO . 830
56 WAYS TO DO SO . 824
57 NECESSARY TO DO SO . 812
58 AS YOU DO SO . 802
59 CONTINUES TO DO SO . 793
60 20 MINUTES OR SO . 773
61 YOU CAN DO SO . 770
62 ALLOWED TO DO SO . 759
63 15 MINUTES OR SO . 757
64 AUTHORITY TO DO SO . 752
65 LAST DECADE OR SO . 741
66 WHY THIS IS SO . 737
67 POWER TO DO SO . 730
68 I TOLD YOU SO . 726 (B1+ according to Pearson.)
69 6 MONTHS OR SO . 720
70 CHANCE TO DO SO . 708
71 SIX MONTHS OR SO . 702
72 LAST WEEK OR SO . 696
73 REASONS FOR DOING SO . 696
74 , PLEASE DO SO . 695
75 MONEY TO DO SO . 666
I‘m happy to leave the country, but I need money to do so.
76 FAIL TO DO SO . 665
77 NEXT DAY OR SO . 665
78 ASKED TO DO SO . 659
79 30 MINUTES OR SO . 658
80 REFUSED TO DO SO . 646
81 REASON FOR DOING SO . 643
82 I THINK SO . 641
83 . I HOPE SO . 638
84 : I THINK SO . 636
85 DESIRE TO DO SO . 635
86 WANT TO DO SO . 635
87 PAST DECADE OR SO . 622
88 RESOURCES TO DO SO . 622
89 20 YEARS OR SO . 613
90 DID NOT DO SO . 612
91 LAST MONTH OR SO . 609
92 EVERY MONTH OR SO . 602
93 POSSIBLE TO DO SO . 599
94 THEM FROM DOING SO . 599
95 FIVE YEARS OR SO . 598
96 IT IS NOT SO . 597
97 5 MINUTES OR SO . 588
98 PLACE TO DO SO . 584
99 DO NOT THINK SO . 580
100 N’T ALREADY DONE SO . 579