So and Such Quiz
12 multiple-choice questions on 'so' and 'such': so + adjective, such + noun phrase, so much/many and so...that / such...that. B1–B2 level.
So and Such — FAQ
The simplest rule is that 'so' goes before an adjective or adverb on its own (so happy, so quickly), while 'such' goes before a noun phrase, which may include an adjective plus a noun (such a happy day, such kind people). So in 'The film was so good' the word 'good' is an adjective standing alone, but in 'It was such a good film' the word 'good' describes the noun 'film'. Both words add emphasis, but the grammar that follows them is different.
You use 'so' directly before an adjective or an adverb when there is no noun straight after it. For example, 'The box was so heavy', 'She is so tired' and 'He drives so fast' all place 'so' before a describing word that stands alone. The pattern is so + adjective (so heavy) or so + adverb (so fast). If a noun follows the describing word, you usually need 'such' instead.
You use 'such' before a noun phrase, that is, a noun on its own or an adjective plus a noun. For example, 'such a kind person', 'such good weather' and 'such beautiful eyes' all put 'such' in front of a noun group. The pattern is such + (a/an) + (adjective) + noun. Whenever the emphasised part of the sentence ends in a noun, 'such' is normally the correct choice rather than 'so'.
You add 'a' or 'an' after 'such' when the noun is singular and countable: such a lovely time, such an interesting book, such a kind person. The article comes after 'such' and before the adjective, giving the order such + a/an + adjective + noun. You do not use 'a' or 'an' when the noun is uncountable or plural, so you say 'such good weather' and 'such nice people' with no article.
Use 'so much' before uncountable nouns and 'so many' before plural countable nouns. For example, 'They have so much money' uses 'much' because money is uncountable, while 'There were so many people' uses 'many' because people is plural and countable. Both follow the pattern so much / so many + noun, and they add emphasis to a quantity. Note that even though a noun follows, English keeps 'so' here rather than 'such'.
The 'so...that' structure links a quality to a result. You put 'so' before an adjective or adverb, then 'that' introduces the consequence: 'The box was so heavy that I could not lift it' or 'The coffee was so hot that I burnt my tongue.' The first part describes how extreme something is, and the 'that' clause shows what happened because of it. In speech the word 'that' is often dropped, but the meaning stays the same.
The 'such...that' structure works like 'so...that' but uses a noun phrase. You put 'such' before the noun group, then 'that' introduces the result: 'It was such a boring film that we left early' or 'It was such good weather that we stayed on the beach all day.' The noun phrase shows how extreme something is, and the 'that' clause gives the consequence. As with 'so...that', the word 'that' is often left out in everyday speech.
Yes. 'Such' is used with uncountable nouns and plural nouns as well as with singular ones. With uncountable nouns you say 'such good weather' or 'such terrible traffic', and with plural nouns you say 'such nice people' or 'such beautiful eyes'. In these cases you do not add 'a' or 'an', because that article only appears before singular countable nouns. So the article is the only part that changes; 'such' itself stays the same.
It is 'such a nice day'. You cannot say 'so a nice day' because 'so' is never followed by 'a' or 'an' plus a noun. When a noun is involved, you use 'such': such a nice day, such a good idea, such a long journey. If you want to keep 'so', you must remove the noun and use only an adjective, as in 'The day was so nice.' This is one of the most common mistakes learners make with these two words.
A quick memory aid is to look at what comes straight after the word. If only an adjective or adverb follows, choose 'so' (so cold, so slowly). If a noun, or an adjective and a noun, follows, choose 'such' (such a cold morning, such cold weather). It can also help to remember that only 'such' is followed by 'a' or 'an'. When you are unsure, find the noun: if there is one being emphasised, 'such' is usually correct.