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

Try another grammar lesson

Language level

B2 - Upper intermediate

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Hi,
I'm doing some exercises about key word transformation and I got one aswer correct and one incorrect on the same matter. Could you please explain why?

He was the kindest person I had ever seen. (SUCH)
I had never seen such a kind person before. (Got it correct)

This is the strangest music I have ever heard. (STRANGE)
I have never heard such strange music before. (Got it wrong because I answered "...such a strange...")

Hi jacksondjackson,

The reason one is correct and the other not is related to the nouns in the sentences: person and music.

Person is a countable noun, so 'a' is needed. Music is uncountable so no 'a' is used. You would need to say 'such a strange piece of music'.

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

He was so angry that he cancelled the meeting.
I can finish so much more quickly my report if you leave me alone.
It was so cold that i could not go out of my house.
the grammar lesson was so interesting.

Nice :D

8/8

Hi,

i got wrong in number 7.I thought so but the answer is such.Can anyone explain me please?

Hi Khine Zin Nyein,

It's because there is the noun 'students' in the phrase: "such hard-working students".

Use 'so' if there is just an adjective in the phrase, e.g. "I've never had students who are so hard-working".

Does that make sense?

Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team

Hello Teachers
in this sentence "such an amazing food from such a small restaurant "
What do the first such and the second such mean? and is it correct with the article "an" in it?

Hi Ahmed Hassan,

Both times, 'such' is for emphasis. The speaker wants to emphasise how good the good was, and how small the restaurant was.

'Food' is usually used as an uncountable noun, so people would usually say 'such amazing food' (without 'an') - unless they are talking about one specific food.

I hope that helps :)