The official IELTS by IDP app is here! Download it today.

Close

Do you know how to use the words so and such correctly? Enhance your knowledge with a lesson given below and the grammar explanation to guide you better.

Look at these examples to see how so and such are used:

  • He's so funny!

  • That was such a fun day!

  • It takes so long to get there by bus.

  • This is such a complicated problem!

Grammar explanation - Intensifiers: 'so' and 'such'

We can use so and such to emphasize adjectives, adverbs, and nouns.

1. Adjectives and adverbs

We use so with an adjective or adverb to intensify the meaning.

  • The movie was so boring!

  • She sings so beautifully.

  • He drove so fast. It was terrifying!

When using the comparative form of the adjective or adverb, we use so much to strengthen it.

  • She's so much more confident now than she used to be.

  • He works so much faster under pressure.

2. Nouns

With a noun or adjective + noun, we use such to make the expression stronger.

  • You're such a great friend!

  • It's such a lovely evening.

  • Those are such stylish shoes! Where did you get them?

However, when we use much, many, little, or few with a noun, we use so to intensify it.

  • There are so many books to choose from!

  • I've had so few opportunities to relax lately.

3. Saying the result

We often use these so and such structures with that and a clause to indicate the result.

  • The cake was so delicious that we ate it all.

  • She was such a talented artist that her work became famous.

  • There's so much traffic that we’ll be late!

Try another grammar lesson