Speech in English should be as varied, expressive and emotional as in your native language. To do this, you can use various amplifiers, for example so/such, which not only transform speech, but also help to focus attention on the importance of an action or definition.
Despite the fact that such and so are always studied in pairs, they belong to different parts speech. So, the first is an adjective, and the second is an adverb. In Russian they sound like “so, so”. As you can see, their semantic side is almost the same, the function too (increases the importance of the word with which it is used), but the grammatical rules for using such and so are completely different.
When to use this?
Such, being an adjective, cannot live without good company. It is always followed by an adjective and a noun. But this is not an ordinary representative of his group. You probably already know that if an adjective is used together with a noun, then the indefinite article is placed before the combination. And in this case it’s the other way around: such + a + adj + noun , unless, of course, noun is singular. And if it’s plural, then we don’t use anything.
It was such good weather yesterday! — Yesterday the weather was so wonderful!
He gave such an interesting book. — He gave me such an interesting book.
The Browns have such beautiful daughters. — The Browns have such beautiful daughters.
My brother is such an idiot. - My brother is such an idiot.
When to use so?
Unlike such, which is also used for emphasis, so only clarifies an adjective or adverb. There shouldn't be any nouns behind it. Although there are a couple of cases.
I am so tired. I'll better go to bed. - I am so tired. I'd better go to bed.
He is so stupid. I can't talk to him. - He's so stupid! I can't talk to him.
He lived in London last year. Now he speaks English so well. — He lived in London last year. Now he speaks English so well.
I am happy because so many friends have come to me today. — I am happy because so many friends came to me today.
She has so little money to buy everything she wants. “She has so little money to buy everything she wants.”
My parents visit us so often. — My parents visit us so often.
Constructions with so and such
It will be useful to know some stable expressions, because the whole rule is based on them, and they are quite often found in speech.
so long But such a long time - so long, long ago
so far But such a long way - so far
so many (so much), But such a lot of - so much
not so... as to - not such that; enough to
so ... that / such ... that - so ... what / such ... therefore
I haven’t been here for so long. — I haven’t been here such a long time. - I haven't been here for so long.
I live so far from my parents. — I live such a long way from my parents. — I live so far from my parents.
She bought so much food. — She bought such a lot of food. — She bought so much food.
We are not so rich as to by a new house. — We are not rich enough to buy a new house.
The film is so interesting that we have watched it many times. — The film is so interesting that we watched it several times.
As you can see, using such/so is not difficult. Remember that after the first there is an adverb or adjective, and with the second there is an adjective along with a noun. And then your speech will not be dry, it will become expressive and emotional.
Sometimes, especially among beginning students, there is a feeling that the English language is somehow very lean and not as emotional as Russian or Ukrainian. In reality, any language has some potential for expression, the main thing is to know which expressions to use and when. Therefore, now we will talk about such emotional words as “such” and “so”. Let's do this!
Terms of Use Such
- Definitive« such" If you need to add some emphasis and enhance the expressiveness of the sentence, then the qualifying word “such” is used before the noun. Let's give a couple of examples of use before an uncountable noun, the same in plural and the adjectives that precede them:
Sandy has such gorgeous hair.
Sandy has such beautiful hair.
They are such lovely squirrels.
They are such cute squirrels.
- « Such» = « this/that kind» . In a more formal situation, it is acceptable to use the adjective “such” to mean “ of such kind" Can be used after the indefinite article " a" or " an", as well as the following English expressions: " the second" (second), " the first" (first), " the only" (the only one).
I suspect it"ll be the only such offer you get for the rest of your life.
I suspect that for the rest of your life, this will be the only offer of this kind that you will receive.
Your father would never agree to such a plan.
Your father would never approve of a plan of this nature.
- Expression« such... that" Moreover, after the emotional word “such”, a relative clause with the conjunction “ that" Example:
Noel is such a peevish woman that no one is able to deal with her.
Noelle has such a disgusting character that no one can deal with her.
Nuances of using So
- « So» + adjective/adverb.
We often use "so" when we mean "to such an extent / to a certain extent." In this case, “so” acts as an adverb of degree, modifying both adjectives and other adverbs:
Why is your ginger cat so fat and fluffy?
Why is your ginger cat so fat and fluffy?
Unfortunately, I"m not so fluent in Chinese.
Unfortunately, I'm not that fluent in Chinese.
Also, the adverb " so" is used in the sense of " Very»:
Unfortunately, parties don't always work out so well, Harry!
Unfortunately, parties don't always go very well, Harry!
Combination " so» & « that»:
Jade is so sluggish that she never helps out her mom with cooking.
Jade is so lazy that she never helps her mom with cooking.
- The combination “so + many/much”.
Among other things, the adverb “so” is also used with words such as: “ many" (a lot of) & " few"(little) - with countable nouns; " much" (a lot of) & " little"(little) - with uncountable nouns. Eg:
I have never had so little cash! What the...?!
I've never had so little money! What the... ?!
Nota Bene: It is important to remember that before adjectives in comparative degree need turnover " so much", not just "so":
Billy feels so much better after he has drunk a big mug of herbal tea with honey.
Billy feels much better after drinking a large mug of herbal tea with honey.
So in the meaning of substitute
- « So» = adjective.
So, in formal speech, it is often acceptable to use “so” after an English verb instead of an adjective. Example:
Melanie is absolutely slim and gorgeous. She"s been so since her childhood.
Melanie is very slim and attractive. She's been like this since childhood.
Under " so-such"implies the characteristics mentioned in the first sentence, namely that the girl is fit and at the same time beautiful.
- More/less + so.
When comparing the characteristics of living beings or objects/objects, you can use “more so” & “less so” as substitute expressions. For example:
The bedroom is jolly small and dark, the living room, even more so.
The bedroom is very small and dark, and the living room is even worse (i.e. even darker and smaller than the bedroom).
The sofa is very expensive and fashionable, the wooden table, less so.
The sofa is very expensive and fashionable, unlike wooden table(i.e. the table is not as expensive and modern as the sofa).
- « So» instead of repeating the sentence.
When answering questions, you don’t always want to use the usual short and grammatically correct expressions.
For example, you were asked the question: “ Will you go to the bar tonight, dude?- “Dude, are you going to the bar tonight?”
Based on the grammatical formula, you need to answer: “ Yup, I will." Or " Nah, I won't.»
However, in order for the speech to really be lively and more flexible, you can get by with such verbs as: “ guess"(believe). Thus, if the answer is affirmative, we use: “ I guess so." - “I suppose so.” And if it’s negative: “I guess not.” - “I guess not.” In both cases, the words “so” and “not” actually carry all the information that was contained in the question itself.
Nota Bene: Verbs that can be used in a short answer also include: “ expect" (expect), " hope"(hope), " think" (think), " believe" (believe), " imagine" (introduce), " assume"(allow), " reckon" (count), " seem"(seem), " suppose" (assume). However, in front of the particle « not» are used: « be afraid" (regret), " guess», « hope" And " suppose" WITH " believe», « expect" And " think"we usually use an auxiliary verb" do» + « not» + « main verb" + « so».
*A noun phrase usually consists of a noun and the attribute that precedes it (i.e. adjective, participle, etc.).
Top 3 rules for using so & such:
- If there is an adjective before a noun, use "such".
- If you see a noun phrase with the article "a/an", use "such".
- Before adjectives and adverbs, feel free to use “so”.
Never be afraid of expression; English, like any existing language, serves to convey the emotional background of a person and his feelings. Now you know how to correctly emotionally emphasize a particular situation, object or subject. As well as alternatives for vivid and lexically diverse speech.
Such and so are used when we're talking about about a strong manifestation of some characteristic: “such” or “so much”. Words so And such strengthen adjectives or adverbs and are used when we do something we admire, we are surprised or we want highlight a certain feature. This is why so and such are so often used in exclamatory sentences. Let's look at the differences in the use of these words.
Such used with nouns. The most typical scheme is:
If a singular countable noun is used, an article is required a/an:
He was such a naughty child. - He was such a naughty child.
It was fun to visit such a great party. - It was fun to attend such a wonderful party.
He met such a beautiful girl. - He met such a beautiful girl.
If the countable noun is plural, then we do not use any articles:
They are such naughty children. - They are such naughty children.
It was fun to visit such great parties. - It was fun to attend such wonderful parties.
They met such beautiful girls. - They met such beautiful girls.
Such can be used with uncountable nouns, without articles:
It is such nice weather today! - The weather is so wonderful today!
They bought such expensive furniture! - They bought such expensive furniture!
So used with adjectives and adverbs, after so nouns are not used:
The weather was so nice. - The weather was so wonderful.
The girl I met yesterday was so beautiful. - The girl I met yesterday was so beautiful.
I was worried because he was driving so fast. - I was worried because he was driving so fast.
I didn't know that you could speak English so well. - I didn’t know that you spoke English so well.
Also, the words so and such can be part of the constructions so...that And such...that, which serve to enhance a certain characteristic. The same idea can be expressed using both constructions, but pay attention to the word order: after so no noun is used, and after such always used:
It was so hot that I wore a T-shirt. - It was so hot that I put on a T-shirt.
It was such a hot day that I wore a T-shirt. - It was such a hot day that I put on a T-shirt.
The question was so difficult that nobody knew the answer. - The question was so difficult that no one knew the answer.
It was such a difficult question that nobody knew the answer. - It was such a difficult question that no one knew the answer.
If you want to emphasize the quantity and say "so much", then use the expressions so much (with uncountables), so many (with countables) and such a lot of. In combination with many and much the word so combines with nouns:
Why do you need so much money? - Why do you need such a lot of money? - Why do you need so much money?
I didn't know that he had so many friends. - I didn't know that he had such a lot of friends. “I didn’t know he had so many friends.”
Accordingly, we can emphasize a small amount of something: so few (with countable nouns) and so little (with uncountable nouns):
Well done! You made so few mistakes compared to the others. - Great job! You made so few mistakes!
We took so little money. I am afraid it will not be enough. - We took so little money. I'm afraid this won't be enough.
Expression "so long" has two options in English - "so long" or "such a long time":
I was waiting for so long. - I've waited so long.
I was waiting for such a long time. - I've waited so long.
To say "so far", you can also use two different expressions - "so far" and "such a long way":
He didn't tell me that it was so far. - He didn't tell me it was so far.
He didn't tell me that it was such a long way. - He didn't tell me it was so far.
Such can mean "of such kind", and often occurs with abstract nouns:
I am surprised to hear such a plan. - I'm surprised to hear such a plan/plan of this kind.
She will not tolerate such behavior. - She will not tolerate this type of behavior/behavior.
In informal communication and with specific nouns, they prefer to replace such with like that:
This flat is so spacious. I would like a flat like that. - This apartment is so spacious. I would like an apartment like this.
It is the first time I have seen a person like that. - This is the first time I’ve seen such a person.
Use the knowledge you have gained and communicate in English fluently. I wish you success!
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Such/So
√ The pronoun such in spoken English.
√ There is no noun after the pronoun such.
√ Phrases such as.
√ Such always refers to a noun.
√ So refers to an adjective or adverb.
√ The infinitive construction is used after too and enough.
√ So + adjective.
√ After such and so, the infinitive construction is not used.
√ So + many / much / little / few /
The pronoun such in spoken English.
1 The pronoun such in colloquial English is used before a noun to mean such. After the pronoun such, countable nouns in the singular are used with the indefinite article a(ap), and countable nouns in the plural and uncountable nouns are used without an article. After the pronoun such there is no noun
There is no noun after the pronoun such.
2. If there is no noun after the pronoun such, then this pronoun means such.
Such is life. That is life.
Such were the results of his business trip abroad.
These were the results of his business trip abroad.
Collocations such as .
3. Pronoun such used in the phrase such as- such as (such as).
Some sports, such as motor racing, can be dangerous.
Some sports, such as motorcycle racing, can be dangerous.
Note.
Very often difficulties arise when choosing between place names such and adverb so(so, like that).
The following should be taken into account:
To correctly use the pronoun such or the adverb so, you need to know which parts of speech they interact with.
Such always refers to a noun.
Such always refers to a noun
Such always refers to a noun that can be preceded by an adjective.
She has such a tiny kitten!
You have such a tiny kitten!
So refers to an adjective or adverb.
So refers to an adjective or adverb that is not followed by a noun.
She is so merry today.
She's so cheerful today!
Doesn't get up so earlv every day!
He gets up so (very) early every day!
Such used only with a pronoun a lot of+ noun.
So used only with pronouns many / much / little / few+ noun.
Remember the following expressions:
So long but: such a long time
So far but: such a long way
Remember!
After such and so the infinitive construction is not used
After such and so The infinitive construction is not used. You can't say:
These trainers are not so expensive for her to buy.
These sneakers are not that expensive for me to buy.
Instead, in complex sentences we use such and so in combination with the conjunction that (that) as a means of intensification.
These trainers are not so cheap that Mike can’t let her buy them.
These sneakers are so cheap that Mike can't afford her to buy them.
The rain was not so wea k that they couldn’t walk.
The rain was not so light that they could not walk.
And the infinitive construction is used after
too and enough
(very, too, enough)
These trainers are IQA expensive for me to buy.
These sneakers are too expensive for me to buy.
Such/So
Such + uncountable noun
We were not prepared for such weather. We were not prepared for such weather.
Such + (a/an) + calcul. noun
She didn’t expect such a party.
I didn't expect the party to be so great.
Such + adj. + uncountable noun
She has got such lovely hair!
She has such beautiful hair!
Such + (a/an) + adj. + calcul. noun
. We ate such a delicious melon! The melon was so delicious!
Such + adjective + noun in plural number.
We have never paid such high taxes before. Never before have we paid such high taxes.
Such + (a/ap) + adj. + noun + that
It has been such a hot day that we took off our jackets.
The day was so hot that we had to take off our jackets.
Such + a lot of + noun . in plural including She has had such a lot of hats! She had so many hats!
So + adjective
It has been so hot in here - can’t you open the window?
It's so hot in here - could you open the window?
So + adjective + (that) My car is so old that it is not worth repairing. The car is so old that it is no longer worth repairing.
So + adverb I wish she wouldn’t speak so loudly. I wish she spoke less loudly.
So + adverb + (that)
Not drives so fast that nobody can keep up with him.
He drives so fast that no one can keep up with him.
So + many / much / little / few /
How did he make so much money?
How was he able to earn so much money?
So + many / much / little / few + noun. (verb) + (that)
There was so little hope to meet her that the doctor decided to call her.
There was so little hope of meeting her that the doctor decided to call her.
When describing certain events or qualities, we very often add words such as “so” and “such” to focus attention on what we are telling. IN English language There are also these words: so And such. And they have their own rules of use.
Rules for using so and such
After so an adjective or adverb is used: so clever, so expensive, so quickly, so slowly. For example:
You will like Matt. He is so intelligent. (so + adjective)
Rick is a champion! He runs so quickly! (so + adverbs)
After such a noun is used. If the noun is countable and singular, do not forget about the indefinite article: such a book.
If the noun is plural, the article Not needed: such children.
Don't forget that with uncountable nouns in the singular the article Not used: You have such deep knowledge.
After such adjective and noun are also used: such a good book, such noisy children. For example:
I’ve seen such a wonderful dress! (such + adjective)
Michael and Stephan are very hard-working. I haven't met such people before. (such + noun)
Words such And so make the meaning of an adjective or adverb stronger:
You're driving so slowly!(=very slowly)
I've read such an interesting book. (=very interesting)
The constructions “ so...that" And " such...that»:
He disappeared so quickly that I forgot to tell him my number. - He disappeared So fast, What I forgot to tell him my number.
The book was so boring that I fell asleep. - There was a book such boring, What I fell asleep.
That in such constructions you can omit:
It was raining so heavily we decided to stay at home.
Lesson assignments
Exercise 1. Add so, such or such a.
- He is... noble man!
- You just can’t stay at home in … good weather! Let's go to the beach!
- We were... happy when we were together.
- Your mother is a great cook! She has made… delicious cake!
- We live in… polluted city. People can hardly breathe here.
- The winter this year is…mild.
- What's that? It smells… disgusting!
- That's odd. I have no idea what to do in … situations.
Task 2. Make sentences using “so...that” and “such...that”.
| 1. The trip was expensive. | I never feel lonely. |
| 2. Kris was rude. | I want to come back. |
| 3. I have good friends. | He can afford everything. |
| 4. We have spent a great time together. | I can talk to her for hours. |
| 5. He has got so much money | I bought it immediately. |
| 6. The city was beautiful. | She will never talk to him again. |
| 7. Alice is a very educated girl. | I regret it. |
| 8. The hat was amazing. | We didn't want to stay in the hotel. |
Answer 1.
- such a
- such a
- such a
Answer 2.
- The trip was so expensive (that) I regret it.
- Kris was so rude (that) she will never talk to him again.
- I have such good friends (that) I never feel lonely.
- We have spent such a great time together (that) I want to come back.
- He has got so much money (that) he can afford everything.
- The city was so beautiful (that) we didn’t want to stay in the hotel.
- Alice is such an educated girl (that) I can talk to her for hours.
- It was such an amazing hat (that) I bought it immediately.