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A2grammar12 問

so and such

ルール

So and such intensify descriptions, with so modifying solitary adjectives or adverbs and such modifying noun phrases.

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: (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"). (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!" 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".

覚えておこう

  • 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.

よくある落とし穴

Never use so directly with a noun phrase: say it was such a great movie, never it was a so great movie.

Guía visual

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.

  1. 1Mark the subject, main verb, object, and any connector.
  2. 2Underline the time expression or discourse clue.
  3. 3Reject any option with the wrong agreement, tense, article, pronoun case, or word order.
  4. 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.

例文

  1. 1The summer afternoon was so hot that we decided to stay indoors.
  2. 2David is such a generous person that he always helps his friends in need.
  3. 3Why are you walking so quickly down the corridor when we have time?
  4. 4It was such a thrilling movie that nobody in the cinema made a sound.
  5. 5The museum exhibition had so many visitors that tickets sold out early.
  6. 6They had such terrible weather during their camping holiday in the hills.
  7. 7She spoke so quietly that the students at the back could not hear her.
  8. 8It was such an inspiring lecture that the audience applauded for minutes.
  9. 9There was so much traffic on the highway that our bus was forty minutes late.
  10. 10These are such comfortable walking shoes that I wear them every single day.

例外

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."

よくある間違い

(1) Using so with an adjective + noun phrase: "It is a so nice apartment." → "It is such a nice apartment." (Noun phrases require such a/an). (2) Omitting a/an with singular countables after such: "He is such good teacher." → "He is such a good teacher." (Singular countable nouns require such a/an). (3) Using such with solitary adjectives: "The water was such cold." → "The water was so cold." (Solitary adjectives take so).

力だめし

Write three pairs of equivalent sentences using so in the first and such in the second, then practise this topic.

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