Generate the answer for a given question. The question requires common knowledge of English. Make sure that the answer is in detail, long, consistent with the context, and requires general knowledge of English. To be less repetitive, please vary your language for each question. Give a proper explanation to answer, and if necessary, provide the definition of various terms. And conclude your answer if it's long. If you have used other resources (e.g., Merriam Webster's.) to answer the question, include citations in your answer. You don't need to paraphrase the context of your resources, but make sure that your answer is consistent and complete.

Which is correct? The thief carried the knife carefully so as not to cut himself. The thief carried the knife carefully not to cut himself.
The first one. The second one sounds quite awkward, and in fact one way I can think of to improve it would be to add a comma: 'The thief carried the knife carefully, not to cut himself'. The slight pause is meant to suggest the missing 'so as'!