'so' and 'such'

Do you know how to use the words so and such?

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!

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!

So much, so many

So much and so many refer to the amount or the number of something:

So much precedes uncountable nouns (so much water)

So many precedes countable nouns (so many stars)

The object is introduced by that.

I have so much work that I won't be able to sleep until Thursday. I have such a large quantity of work that I won't be able to sleep until Thursday.

Delavigne Corp has so many employees that it's difficult to keep track of them all. Delavigne Corp has such a large number of employees that it's difficult to keep track of them all.

So modifies adjectives and other adverbs. It can also be used with that (+ consequence).

It's so dark in here that I don't know whose leg I'm touching It's very dark in here and I don't know whose leg I am touching.

So much can also be used with comparative adjectives. In this context, it has a similar meaning to much, but adds extra emphasis.

My new car is so much quieter than my previous one! My new car is a lot quieter than my previous car, and I'm surprised about that.

Note: To make a negative comparison, we use the phrasing so much less:

I'm enjoying learning Spanish. It's so much less complicated than learning Chinese. Learning Spanish is a lot less complicated than learning Chinese.

Finally, so much can be used after a verb to indicate the degree of something:

-Why are you staring at me? -I just love you so much! I love you very much, which is why I am staring at you.

Diferencia entre SO y SUCH

SO y SUCH tienen muchos significados, pero el usual es to a great extent or high degree, es decir, en gran medida o alto grado. Además, para más inri, ambos SO y SUCH se utilizan en la estructura «so/such … that», donde «that» va seguido de una consecuencia o resultado de la oración anterior. Por ejemplo:

I was so tired that I couldn’t be bothered to go out. = Estaba tan cansado que no podía molestarme en salir.

So tired –> I couldn’t be bothered…

There was such noise at night that I found it impossible to fall asleep. = Había tal ruido de noche que me resultaba imposible quedarme dormido.

Such noise –> I found it impossible…

Por estas similitudes es normal que en ocasiones no sepamos cómo utilizar SO y SUCH. En ocasiones, la diferencia no es tan clara cuando estás aprendiendo inglés. Pero yo te la voy a explicar detenidamente.

Cómo utilizar SO

La palabra so normalmente aparece en las siguientes estructuras:

so + adjective + (that) + clause

Utilizamos so seguido de adjetivos:

She was so angry with him that she didn’t talk to him for a whole week.

This book is so interesting that I can’t put it down for a minute.

so + adverb + (that) + clause

Utilizamos so seguido de adverbios:

The man spoke so quickly that I couldn’t quite understand what he was saying.

That guy was driving so fast that he lost control when trying to turn.

so + few/many/little/much + noun + (that) + clause

Utilizamos so seguido de sustantivos únicamente cuando utilizamos los cuantificadores few/many/little/much:

There were so few people that the place seemed almost empty. (countable noun)

There were so many people that I found it difficult to breathe. (countable noun)

Rachel had so little money that she couldn’t catch the bus. (uncountable noun)

The tsunami had caused so much damage that the city had to be rebuilt.

(uncountable noun)

Cómo utilizar SUCH

La palabra such normalmente aparece en las siguientes estructuras:

such + (adjective) + uncountable/plural noun + (that) + clause

Utilizamos such con sustantivos incontables o plurales:

There are such bad politicians in Spain that the country is now facing a deep crisis.

(plural noun)

He felt such guilt for what he’d done that he ended up committing suicide.

(uncountable noun)

such + a/an + (adjective) + singular noun + (that) + clause

Utilizamos such a/an con sustantivos contables en singular:

The Alhambra in Granada is such a spectacular monument that everyone should visit it at least once.

such + a lot of + (adjective) + uncountable/plural noun + (that) + clause

Utilizamos such a lot of con sustantivos incontables o plurales:

Some people have such a lot of money that they could afford to buy a different car every day. (uncountable noun)

There were such a lot of people that I could hardly breathe. (countable noun)

Como ves, SO y SUCH pueden ser sinónimos, pero no se utilizan en las mismas estructuras. ¡Así de simple!

RESUMEN: Diferencia entre SO y SUCH

SO se utiliza con adjetivos, adverbios y sustantivos con few/many/little/much.

SUCH se utiliza únicamente con sustantivos.