So and such

UNIT 94 So and such

A.   Study these examples

• I didn't enjoy the book. The story was so stupid.

• I didn't enjoy the book. It was such a stupid story.

We use so with an adjective without a noun: so stupid
We use such with an adjective with a noun: such a stupid story

You can also use so with an adverb:

• He's difficult to understand because he speaks so quickly

B.   So and such make the meaning of the adjective stronger

• It's a beautiful day, isn't it? It's so warm. (= really warm)

• We enjoyed our vacation. We had such a good time. (= a really good time)

Compare so and such in these sentences:

• I like Tom and Ann. They are so nice.

• I like Tom and Ann. They are such nice people. (not so nice people)

We often say so . . . that . . . and such . . . that . . . :

• I was so tired that I went to bed at seven o'clock.

• She worked so hard that she made herself sick.

• It was such beautiful weather that we spent the whole day in the park.

• The book was so good that I couldn't put it down.                       

You can leave out that in these sentences:

• I was so tired (that) I went to bed at 7 o'clock.

C.   In these sentences we use so and such in a different way:

• I expected the weather to be much cooler. I didn't expect it to be so warm. (= as warm as it is)

• I'm tired because I got up at 6 o'clock. I don't usually get up so early. (= as early as 6 o'clock)

• Hurry up! Don't walk so slowly. (= as slowly as you are walking)

• I was surprised when Jack told me the house was built 100 years ago as old as it.

D.   We say: so long but "such a long time''; so far but "such a long way"; so many, so much but "such a lot (of)":

• I haven't seen him for so long that I've forgotten what he looks like. (or . . . for such a long time . . . )

•  I didn't know you lived so far from the city. (or . . . such a long way from . . . )

• Why did you buy so much food? (or . . . such a lot of food?)