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
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
Hello Harry,
Yes, it is possible to say that. A comparative form (so much cleverer) would be used as a response to a perceived exaggeration:
With a normal (non-comparative) adjective it
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Mason2afm,
The correct form here is 'So am I'.
When the verb in the first sentence is 'be' (am, are, were etc) then it is repeated in the answer. If a different verb were used then we might use 'do', depending on the form of the verb.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
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