So and such

  • B1 · Intermediate
  • Grammar lesson
  • 60 min

so + an adjective, such (a) + an adjective + a noun, and so / such … that for a result: It was such a long trip that I fell asleep standing up. From a voice message about a thirty-hour trip home to a game of tall tales.

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so darksuch a messso many

What's in the lesson

  1. 1Warm-up
  2. 2In this lesson
  3. 3Listen: Dilnoza's trip homeListening comprehension
  4. 4What does it mean?Grammar exercise
  5. 5Find so and suchGrammar exercise
  6. 6so and suchGrammar rule
  7. 7so or such?Grammar exercise
  8. 8Say it another wayGrammar exercise
  9. 9What happened?Grammar exercise
  10. 10Find the mistakeGrammar exercise
  11. 11Say it naturallySpeaking practice
  12. 12Tall talesSpeaking practice
  13. 13About youGrammar exercise
  14. 14Wrap-up

Homework

  1. 1Homework: a camping tripGrammar exercise
  2. 2Homework: which sentence is correct?Grammar exercise
  3. 3Homework: build the sentencesGrammar exercise
  4. 4Homework: a day to rememberDiscussion

Two slides from the lesson

Warm-up

A few questions about you before we start.

  1. Have you ever waited a really long time at an airport or a station? What happened?
  2. How do you pass the time when a trip takes all day?
  3. Have you ever been so tired that you fell asleep somewhere strange? Where?

Grammar rule

so and such

so or such?

What comes nextExample
soan adjective (or an adverb)The room was so dark. She types so fast.
so many / so mucha plural / an uncountable nounThere were so many cars. I have so much homework.
such a / an(an adjective +) a singular nounHe's such a good cook. It was such a mess.
such(an adjective +) a plural or an uncountable noun: no aThey're such good dancers. It's such great music.

so and such make a word stronger, with feeling, like very. They are very common in conversation: I'm so happy for you! You're such a good listener.

so / such … that: the result

  • The shoes were so cheap that I bought two pairs.
  • It was such a small kitchen that only one of us could cook at a time.
  • In conversation, that is often left out: We were so late we missed the start.

Watch out

  • such goes with a noun; with an adjective alone, use so: such tired → so tired
  • so doesn't go before a / an: so a long day → such a long day
  • a / an comes after such: a such nice man → such a nice man
  • no a with uncountable nouns: such a bad weather → such bad weather
  • many and much go with so: such many people → so many people (but such a lot of people is fine)
  • so … that (a result) is not the same as so that (a purpose, lesson 26): I left early so that I wouldn't miss the bus.

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