so and such
Apprentissage rapide
So and such intensify descriptions, with so modifying solitary adjectives or adverbs and such modifying noun phrases.
À retenir
- Use so before adjectives and adverbs: the weather is so warm, she speaks so politely.
- Use such before noun phrases: it was such a warm day, they are such friendly neighbours.
- Both connect to result clauses with that: it was so cold that the water froze, it was such a storm that trees fell.
Exemples
- 1The summer afternoon was so hot that we decided to stay indoors.
- 2David is such a generous person that he always helps his friends in need.
Piège courant à éviter
Never use so directly with a noun phrase: say it was such a great movie, never it was a so great movie.
Approfondir
La règle
Two ways to say very
So and Such are intensifiers used to heighten the degree of a quality, meaning "very", "extremely", or "to this remarkable extent". While they express similar intensity, their syntactic distribution depends on noun presence:
So
(1) SO modifies solitary adjectives and adverbs: Formula 1: So + Adjective.
- The soup is so hot!
- She is so kind
Formula 2: So + Adverb.
- Why are you speaking so fast?
- He drives so carefully
Formula 3: Quantity Modifiers: so many / so few + plural nouns ("There were so many cars"); so much / so little + mass nouns ("We have so much work").
Such
(2) SUCH modifies noun phrases: Formula 1: Such + a / an + Adjective + Singular Countable Noun: "It was such a cold morning!", "She is such a talented musician!" (note: the article follows such: such a, never a such). Formula 2: Such + Adjective + Plural Noun:
- They are such friendly neighbours!
- We had such delicious apples!
Formula 3: Such + Adjective + Uncountable Noun:
- It was such terrible weather!
- They showed such great courage!
So … that, such … that
Result Clauses with THAT: Both so and such connect to a consecutive result clause introduced by that:
- The tea was so hot that I couldn't drink it
- It was such a noisy room that we couldn't hear the speaker
Anatomie de la phrase
Des phrases de cette leçon, découpées dans l'ordre qu'exige l'anglais.
SujetThe summer afternoonVerbewasAttributso hotPropositionthat we decided to stay indoors.
SujetItVerbewasAttributsuch a thrilling moviePropositionthat nobody in the cinema made a sound.
SujetSheVerbespokeManièreso quietlyPropositionthat the students at the back could not hear her.
Guide visuel
How to read this A2 topic
At A2, the challenge is choosing between similar time frames, pronouns, and quantity patterns.
1. Look for the time clue
Yesterday, now, every day, already, and since often decide the tense.
I watched it yesterday.
2. Choose the pattern first
Pick the whole grammar structure before choosing the final word.
I am going to study.
3. Check word position
Adverbs, objects, and pronouns must sit in natural English order.
I know him well.
Decision path before answering
Use these checks before choosing between close options.
- 1Mark the subject, main verb, object, and any connector.
- 2Underline the time expression or discourse clue.
- 3Reject any option with the wrong agreement, tense, article, pronoun case, or word order.
- 4Read the whole sentence once more for naturalness and register.
Contrasts that often decide the answer
Event or background
Simple forms move events forward; continuous forms show an action in progress.
I left while she was talking.
Fact or stance
Modals, hedges, and reporting structures show how certain or responsible the speaker sounds.
This may indicate a problem.
Clause or compressed phrase
Advanced writing often compresses full clauses into participle, noun, or prepositional phrases.
Having reviewed the data, we revised the plan.
Exemples
- 1The summer afternoon was so hot that we decided to stay indoors.
- 2David is such a generous person that he always helps his friends in need.
- 3Why are you walking so quickly down the corridor when we have time?
- 4It was such a thrilling movie that nobody in the cinema made a sound.
- 5The museum exhibition had so many visitors that tickets sold out early.
- 6They had such terrible weather during their camping holiday in the hills.
- 7She spoke so quietly that the students at the back could not hear her.
- 8It was such an inspiring lecture that the audience applauded for minutes.
- 9There was so much traffic on the highway that our bus was forty minutes late.
- 10These are such comfortable walking shoes that I wear them every single day.
Exceptions
Article Position: In English, the indefinite article always follows such, never precedes it: say "such a lovely day", never "a such lovely day". Omission of That in Conversational Register: In spoken and informal written English, the conjunction that can be omitted from the result clause without altering meaning: "It was so cold the lake froze solid."
Erreurs fréquentes
Using so with an adjective + noun phrase
Erreur
It is a so nice apartment.
Correct
It is such a nice apartment.
Noun phrases require such a/an.
Omitting a/an with singular countables after such
Erreur
He is such good teacher.
Correct
He is such a good teacher.
Singular countable nouns require such a/an.
Using such with solitary adjectives
Erreur
The water was such cold.
Correct
The water was so cold.
Solitary adjectives take so.
Récap
L'essentiel de la leçon sur une carte, avant de te tester.
À retenir
- Use so before adjectives and adverbs: the weather is so warm, she speaks so politely.
- Use such before noun phrases: it was such a warm day, they are such friendly neighbours.
- Both connect to result clauses with that: it was so cold that the water froze, it was such a storm that trees fell.
Erreurs fréquentes
Erreur: It is a so nice apartment.
Correct: It is such a nice apartment.Erreur: He is such good teacher.
Correct: He is such a good teacher.Erreur: The water was such cold.
Correct: The water was so cold.
Teste-toi
Write three pairs of equivalent sentences using so in the first and such in the second, then practise this topic.
Points de grammaire associés
Poursuivez votre apprentissage avec d'autres notions de ce niveau.