punctuation - When do we need to put a comma after "so" at the beginning of a sentence?


I noticed that most of the times when the conjunction "so" is used at the beginning of a sentence, it is followed by a comma:



So, this gets published but the fact that it is inaccurate gets moderated out.



Occasionally, I find sentences with no comma after "so":



So he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath.



I am guessing that whether to put comma or not after the "so" conjunction is related to the context and emphasis rather than to the sentence structure, but I am unable to pinpoint it out.


So when do we need to put comma after "so"? (← Do I need a comma after the "so" here?)


P.S.: I know there is another usage of "so" as an adjective or an adverb, in which case no comma is necessary, for example: "So big is the caravan that it cannot fit into the garage."


P.S.: I did skim through the list of questions with [comma] tag, and found no question on this conjunction yet.



Answer



So, now that you've asked this question, how can we answer it? "So," suggests a substantial turning point in the discourse, for example between describing a situation and reacting to change it. See Fattie's answer for good examples where the turning point is substantial because of the outrageousness of the situation. Less outrageous examples still have a substantial turning point:



As my students, you have worked hard and studied carefully. So, today it's time to party!



So now let me describe "So" without a comma. "So" suggests logical continuity, for example between describing a situation and its usual result. When possible, it would often be better to combine a "So" sentence with the preceding sentence.



As my students, you have worked hard and studied carefully. So I know you will pass the examination.




As my students, you have worked hard and studied carefully, so I know you will pass the examination.



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