"So as to" is a compound preposition that has an infinitive as its object. You can use it at the beginning or in mid-sentence.

"So as to" is a compound preposition that has an infinitive as its object. We use it to express purpose in formal situations and writing.

She clarified the situation so as to remove all doubt.

She clarified the situation so as to removing all doubt.

You can use "so as to" at the beginning of a sentence or in mid-sentence.

So as to achieve financial freedom, he paid off debt on time.

He paid off debt on time so as to achieve financial freedom.

Notice that when starting a sentence with "so as to", you need a comma after the introductory phrase.

So as to reduce stress and follow a healthy lifestyle, she practiced positive self-talk.

So as to reduce stress and follow a healthy lifestyle she practiced positive self-talk.

The negative form of "so as to" is "so as not to".

So as not to waste time and resources, we need to identify and mitigate our risk.

You can replace "so as to" by "to". What's the difference between "to" and "so as to"? "So as to" is much more formal.

She took a few training courses so as to learn a programming language.

She took a few training courses to learn a programming language.

"So as to" and "in order to" are interchangeable. They both can be used in formal contexts; however, "in order to" is more common than "so as to".

Do not use "so as to" in everyday English or informal situations. In these contexts, we typically use "to" by itself.

She went to the store to buy some shampoo.