tcha
11/12/10, 03:23 PM
'As long as' and 'so long as' are used in different cases than 'so...as' and 'as...as'.
With the first sentence, both 'so...as' and 'as...as' are used, except 'so...as' is old-fashioned.
'so long as' means 'on the condition that'. That can be used on your second sentence. 'As long as' can technically mean 'on the condition that' too but it can also be used for telling someone how long something is whether it be the time, physical length, etc. Example--This tree was as long as an oak, or that ad is as long as a short film. So you can see why 'so long as' can be better than 'as long as' for meaning 'on the condition that'.
thefreedictionary.com- forum
With the first sentence, both 'so...as' and 'as...as' are used, except 'so...as' is old-fashioned.
'so long as' means 'on the condition that'. That can be used on your second sentence. 'As long as' can technically mean 'on the condition that' too but it can also be used for telling someone how long something is whether it be the time, physical length, etc. Example--This tree was as long as an oak, or that ad is as long as a short film. So you can see why 'so long as' can be better than 'as long as' for meaning 'on the condition that'.
thefreedictionary.com- forum