Common mistakes
So or such: choose the right pattern for emphasis
The two sentences carry the same feeling, but their grammar changes: The film was so moving. It was such a moving film. Look at the word that follows the emphasis word before you choose so or such.
Choose so or such by identifying whether the next word is an adjective, an adverb, or a noun phrase.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
such a quiet library /sʌtʃ ə ˈkwaɪət ˈlaɪbrəri/
The short answer
Use so before an adjective or adverb: so quiet, so quickly. Use such before a noun phrase: such a quiet room, such helpful advice. With countable plural nouns and uncountable nouns, use so many or so much: so many messages, so much traffic.
The library was so quiet that I could hear the clock.
Why it works: Quiet is an adjective, so so comes directly before it.
4 more examples
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Ravi explained the route so clearly that nobody got lost.
Clearly is an adverb describing explained.
Not this:Ravi gave us
such a clear explanationthat nobody got lost. What changes: The second sentence uses a noun phrase, a clear explanation, so it takes such. -
We had such heavy rain during the match.
Rain is an uncountable noun, and such can introduce this noun phrase.
Not this:It rained
so heavilyduring the match. What changes: Heavily is an adverb, so it follows so when the sentence describes the action. -
There were so many questions after the talk.
Many is used with the plural countable noun questions.
Not this:It was
such a popular talkthat people stayed to ask questions. What changes: Such introduces the singular noun phrase a popular talk. -
I have so much work to finish before Friday.
Work is uncountable here, so use so much.
Not this:It is
such demanding workthat I need a quiet morning. What changes: Such can also introduce an uncountable noun phrase when the focus is the kind of work.
Read the full guide
Start with the next important word. If it is an adjective or adverb, choose so. If a noun phrase follows, choose such. Do not decide by the strength of the feeling; both words can add strong emphasis.
Check what comes next
So and such are both intensifiers, but they attach to different grammar. So usually sits before an adjective or adverb. Such begins a noun phrase. This one check prevents most mistakes.
The instructions were so clear. They were such clear instructions.
Use so with adjectives and adverbs
Use so + adjective when you describe a quality, and so + adverb when you describe how an action happens. A following that-clause often shows a result, but it is not required.
The library was so quiet that I could hear the clock. Ravi explained the route so clearly that nobody got lost.
Do not put a singular noun straight after so: so quiet library is incomplete. Add such a when the noun phrase is the focus.
Use such with noun phrases
Before a singular countable noun, use such a or such an: such a quiet library, such an unusual idea. With plural nouns and uncountable nouns, do not add a or an: such kind neighbours, such heavy rain.
It was such a quiet library. We had such heavy rain. They are such kind neighbours.
Use so much and so many for quantity
Use so many with things you can count in the plural. Use so much with an uncountable amount. The words many and much carry the quantity, while so makes it stronger.
There were so many questions after the talk. I have so much work to finish before Friday.
Use so many questions, not such many questions. Use so much work, not such much work.
Change the pattern without changing the idea
You can often express a similar idea with either word by changing the structure. Move from an adjective or adverb to a noun phrase, or the other way around. This is useful when you want to vary a sentence without losing its emphasis.
The rain was so heavy. We had such heavy rain. Ravi spoke so clearly. Ravi gave such a clear explanation.
Choose the natural completion: It was so useful guide, or It was such a useful guide.
Use It was such a useful guide because useful guide is a singular noun phrase. So useful works when the noun is removed: The guide was so useful.
Before you go
Remember this
Choose so before an adjective or adverb: so quiet, so clearly. Choose such before a noun phrase: such a quiet library, such heavy rain. For quantity, use so much or so many. Check the word or phrase after the emphasis word, then build the rest of the sentence.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "So or such: choose the right pattern for emphasis"
When should I use so instead of such?
Use so before an adjective or adverb. The library was so quiet uses so because quiet is an adjective. Ravi explained the route so clearly uses so because clearly describes how he explained it.
The library was so quiet that I could hear the clock.
Why do we say such a quiet library?
Use such before a noun phrase. In such a quiet library, library is a singular countable noun, so the phrase needs such a. Compare The library was so quiet, where quiet is only an adjective.
It was such a quiet library that I could hear the clock.
Can I use such with uncountable nouns?
Yes. Use such with an uncountable noun phrase, as in We had such heavy rain during the match. When you describe the action instead, use so with the adverb: It rained so heavily during the match.
Ravi explained the route so clearly that nobody got lost.
Do I say so many or such many?
Say so many with a plural countable noun: There were so many questions after the talk. Many already expresses quantity, and so intensifies it. Such many is not the usual English pattern.
Ravi gave us such a clear explanation that nobody got lost.
Do I say so much work or such work?
Use so much when you mean a large amount: I have so much work to finish before Friday. You can use such demanding work when you mean the kind of work, because demanding work is a noun phrase.
We had such heavy rain during the match.
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