So and Such: Rules, Patterns and Examples

Use so directly before an adjective or an adverb to make it stronger. The adjective usually comes after a verb like be, feel, look, seem or get, and nothing comes after it, or only a that clause.

So is stronger and more emotional than very. People use it a lot in conversation to show how they feel: I'm so happy for you! It is especially common in exclamations, often with a falling, strong tone on so.

So also works with adverbs: so quickly, so well, so badly, so often, so early. The adverb tells us how something happens, and so makes it stronger.

Use such before a noun, usually with an adjective in between. With a singular countable noun, put a or an after such, not before it: such a nice person, never a such nice person.

With plural nouns and uncountable nouns there is no article: such nice people, such good advice, such bad weather. Remember that some words that need a or an in other languages are uncountable in English, for example advice, news, information, weather, homework and furniture. See countable and uncountable nouns for more.

Such can also go before a noun with no adjective when the noun already describes something good or bad: He's such a liar. It was such a mess. That's such a pity.

Before the quantity words many, much, few and little, we use so, even though a noun comes next. Use so many and so few with plural countable nouns, and so much and so little with uncountable nouns.

Be careful with a lot of. It is a quantity phrase, but we say such a lot of, not so a lot of: There was such a lot of noise. In everyday speech, so much and so many are more common than such a lot of.

So much and so many can also stand alone without a noun when the meaning is clear: Thanks so much. I ate so much! In questions and negatives the same rules apply: I didn't know there were so many options.

So and such often start a pattern that shows cause and result. The first part says how big or strong something was, and the that clause says what happened because of it: It was so loud that I couldn't hear you.

This pattern is common in stories and descriptions. In conversation, people often drop that: I was so hungry I ate the whole pizza. Both versions are correct.

Compare this with too and enough. Too means more than is good, and it is usually followed by an infinitive: The tea is too hot to drink. With so, we use a full clause: The tea is so hot that I can't drink it. Both sentences mean almost the same thing, but too already contains the negative idea.

In formal or literary English you may meet so + adjective + a + noun: It was so good a story that it became a film. This means the same as such a good story, but it sounds formal. In everyday English, use such a.

You may also see so at the start of a sentence for emphasis, with inversion: So strong was the wind that trees fell down. This is formal and mostly written. Learn to recognize it, but you do not need to use it at B1.

Do not confuse such with such as, which introduces examples: Bring warm clothes, such as a coat and gloves. And do not confuse the intensifier so with the linking word so, which means therefore: It was raining, so we stayed in. Read more about linking words in linking words in English.

In everyday conversation, so and such are everywhere, especially when people react to news or describe their feelings. Native speakers often stress so and such strongly to show emotion: That's SO kind of you!

Some very common spoken phrases are: Thanks so much. I'm so sorry. It's so good to see you. That's such a shame. You're such a star. I miss you so much.

In very informal American and British speech, especially among young people, you may also hear so before a negative or a noun phrase: That is so not fair. As a learner, understand it, but use the standard patterns in writing and exams. The strongest adjectives, like amazing, terrible and freezing, also work with so, but not with very; see gradable and non-gradable adjectives.