Intensifiers: "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!

Explanation

(Intensifiers make words “stronger” and are often followed by a “that clause.”)

So is usually followed by and adjective or an adverb.

Such, on the other hand, is followed by a noun or noun phrase.

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!