Question

Combine the sentences using the correlative conjunctions 'so...that':
I was sleepy. I couldn't concentrate.

• A. I was sleepy so that I couldn't concentrate.
• B. I was that sleepy so I couldn't concentrate.
• C. So that I was sleepy I couldn't concentrate.
• D. I was so sleepy that I couldn't concentrate.

Answer 1

Answer: (D)

I was so sleepy that I couldn't concentrate.

A conjunction combines or connects two sentences as one. They can be a word or a phrase (like even if, as well as, etc). Correlative conjunctions are words in pairs that connect two sentences, but they're not written together, for example, either...or, but...and, such...that etc, where a word or a phrase is in between the pair (either rice or noodles). 'So that' and 'so...that' have different meanings. 'So that' refers to purpose, it expresses the reason for which an action is carried out, as in 'I left early so that I could attend the party'. The given sentence does not focus on purpose, but the result, 'so' acts as an intensifier for a quality or behaviour and 'that' refers to the result of that behaviour. In the sentence, 'so' intensifies "sleepy" and 'that' refers to the result of being sleepy "I couldn't concentrate". This can be seen in option D, hence it's correct. In option A, 'so that' refers to a purpose, the meaning of the sentence changes to 'the purpose of being sleepy was that i wouldn't concentrate', which isn't what the original sentence means, hence A is incorrect. Similarly, in option C, 'so that' refers to purpose, and not result. Also, sentences like these do not begin with 'so', hence option C is incorrect. In B, 'that' functions as a demonstrative, and not a conjunction. In sentences with 'so...that', 'that' refers to result, and not the adjective, hence option B is incorrect.