Final answer:
The bond type predicted to form between sulfur and oxygen is a polar covalent bond, given that both are nonmetals and the electronegativity difference is 0.86.
Step-by-step explanation:
The bond type predicted to form between sulfur with an electronegativity of 2.58 and oxygen with an electronegativity of 3.44 would be a polar covalent bond. To determine the type of bond, we look at the difference in electronegativity between the two elements. The difference here is 3.44 - 2.58 = 0.86. This difference is not large enough for the bond to be considered ionic (usually greater than 1.7), and since both sulfur and oxygen are nonmetals, a metallic bond is not expected. A nonpolar covalent bond would have a very small difference in electronegativity (typically less than 0.5), thus leaving us with the prediction of a polar covalent bond.