comma before 'so that' [conjunction]: lot of time, so that I visited

[Julianus]

Hellow.

I'm confused about "comma" with "so that".


for example.

1. I had a lot of time so I visited the museum. 2. I had a lot of time, so I visited the museum. 3. I had a lot of time, so that I visited the museum.


are thes three sentences grammatically correct? and do they have the same meaning?


Thank you for answering my poor question.

 

[Thomas Tompion]

I nearly always put a comma before so when it means therefore, so I don't like 1. but I'm happy with 2.

I can't imagine myself saying 3. So that I visited most naturally means in order that I visited. I don't use so that to mean therefore. I could say So that I could visit the museum, I left myself a lot of time.

 

[Parla]

The only one that looks right to me is sentence #2.

 

[Undercoverlover]

So, is a comma needed in the following sentence?

I took a day off so that I could celebrate my birthday.

I took a day off, so that I could celebrate my birthday.

 

[Thomas Tompion]

So, is a comma needed in the following sentence?

I took a day off so that I could celebrate my birthday.

I took a day off, so that I could celebrate my birthday.

I'd leave out the comma. I'd certainly not say it was needed. I prefer the first sentence. So that here means in order that, of course.