Intensifiers: 'so' and 'such'

Intensifiers: 'so' and 'such'

Do you know how to use the words so and such? Test what you know with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.

Look at these examples to see how so and such are used.

She's so interesting!
This is such an interesting book.
A new phone costs so much money these days.
Traffic in the city centre is such a nightmare!

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar test 1

'so' and 'such': Grammar test 1

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation 

We can use so and such to intensify adjectives, adverbs and nouns.

Adjectives and adverbs

We can use so with an adjective or adverb to make it stronger.

It's so hot today!
She looks so young in that photo.
He walks so slowly. It's so annoying!

If we are using the comparative form of the adjective or adverb, we use so much to make it stronger.

They were so much more innocent when they were younger.
I work so much more quickly when I can concentrate.

Nouns

With a noun or adjective + noun, we use such to make it stronger. 

You're such an angel!
It's such a hot day today!
They're such lovely trousers. Where did you buy them?

However, when we use much, many, little and few with a noun, we use so to make it stronger.

There are so many people here!
I've had so little time to myself this week.

Saying the result

We often use these so and such structures with that and a clause to say what the result is.

It was so cold that the water in the lake froze.
He was such a good teacher that we all passed the exam.
There's so much noise that I can't think!

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Grammar test 2

'so' and 'such': Grammar test 2

Language level

Average: 4.2 (77 votes)

Submitted by emmanuelniyomugabo12 on Wed, 23/09/2020 - 22:15

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Thanks Sir

Submitted by Pola on Wed, 09/09/2020 - 16:30

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I'm wondering if I want to say (such little different)
Hello! I was wondering the same thing but then I thought maybe it would be correct to use such with differnce(as a noun)instead of different (adjective)

Hello Memmedeva Nezrin,

It's difficult to say whether a phrase is correct or not when it isn't complete. For example, 'such different' by itself is not correct (instead, use 'such a difference').

But if a noun follows 'different' -- for example, 'They have such different ideas about friendship' -- then it is correct.

If 'different' doesn't precede a noun, then 'so' is correct: 'Their ideas about friendship are so different'.

Hope this helps.

All the best,

Kirk

The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by kyawkyawsoezhu on Sat, 29/08/2020 - 17:57

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It's so nice to see such curious students in the comment section.
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Submitted by Salum Hilali on Mon, 03/08/2020 - 19:13

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It is such an interesting lesson I have learned so far . It is such a wonderful day !,I have achieved a 50 words per minutes typing speed.

Submitted by shiyashamsu on Sun, 26/07/2020 - 17:27

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These lessons are so interesting to learn

Submitted by Dastenova Firuza on Sun, 12/07/2020 - 10:40

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so is used with adjectives and such comes with adj+ noun combinations ti intensify the meaning of a sentence.