Grammar Worksheet

So and Such

B1 degree and emphasis
Explanation

We use SO and SUCH to add emphasis or to express a strong degree. SO comes before an adjective or adverb. SUCH comes before a noun phrase (with or without an adjective).

SO + adjective / adverb: "It was so cold." / "She speaks so quickly." SUCH + (a/an) + (adjective) + noun: "It was such a cold day." / "They are such interesting people."

Both SO and SUCH can be followed by a THAT clause to show a result: "It was so cold that I couldn't sleep." / "It was such a cold night that I couldn't sleep."

Form
PatternUseExample
so + adjective Emphasise an adjective The film was so boring!
so + adverb Emphasise an adverb She drives so carefully.
such + a/an + adj + singular noun Emphasise a noun phrase It was such a beautiful day.
such + adj + plural noun Emphasise a plural noun phrase They are such kind people.
so/such ... that Show result It was so hot that we went swimming. / It was such a hot day that we went swimming.

⚠ SO goes before adjectives/adverbs. SUCH goes before noun phrases (nouns with or without adjectives): ✗ It was such cold → ✓ It was so cold / such a cold day

⚠ Remember the article: SUCH + a/an + singular countable noun: ✗ such beautiful day → ✓ such a beautiful day

Examples
  1. The music was so loud that I couldn't hear myself think.
  2. She's such a talented musician — she plays three instruments.
  3. I was so tired after the hike that I fell asleep immediately.
  4. It's such beautiful weather — let's eat outside.
  5. He spoke so quickly that I missed half of what he said.
  6. They were such friendly people that we stayed for three hours.
  7. The food was so spicy, I had to drink two glasses of water.
  8. What a surprise! You're such a good cook — I had no idea.
Common Mistakes
Exercises
1 Choose so or such

Choose the correct word to complete each sentence.

  1. The exam was _____ (so / such) difficult that most students failed.
  2. It was _____ (so / such) a long journey — we were exhausted when we arrived.
  3. She's _____ (so / such) clever! She solved it in seconds.
  4. They have _____ (so / such) a lovely garden.
  5. He eats _____ (so / such) slowly that we always finish before him.
2 Correct the mistake

Some sentences contain a mistake. Find and correct it, or write 'Correct' if there is no mistake.

  1. It was such cold outside that we stayed in.
  2. She's so a good teacher.
  3. He told such funny jokes that we laughed the whole evening.
  4. They were such generous that they paid for everything.
3 Complete with your own result clause

Complete each sentence with 'that ...' to show a result.

The coffee was so strong _____. → The coffee was so strong that I couldn't sleep.

  1. It was such a long film _____.
  2. She was so nervous _____.
  3. It was such hot weather _____.
  4. The queue was so long _____.
  5. They were such interesting people _____.
4 Rewrite the sentence

Rewrite each sentence starting with the word given.

It was very cold. We couldn't go outside. (so) → It was so cold that we couldn't go outside.

  1. It was a very long day. I fell asleep at 8pm. (such)   
  2. She speaks very quickly. I can't follow her. (so)   
  3. It's very hot food. I always burn my tongue. (such)   
  4. They are very kind neighbours. They offered to help immediately. (such)   
  5. He was very rude. Everyone was shocked. (so)   
5 Complete with so or such (+ a/an if needed)

Fill in the blank with so, such, or such a/an.

  1. It's _____ nice day — let's go for a walk.
  2. She had _____ bad headache that she went home early.
  3. The instructions were _____ confusing that nobody understood them.
  4. He's _____ helpful — he always offers to carry things.
  5. We had _____ great time at the wedding.
  6. The food at that restaurant is _____ good — you have to try it.
  7. They spoke _____ quietly that I couldn't hear anything.
  8. It was _____ strange experience that I still think about it now.
Speaking Activity

Use 'so' and 'such' to describe experiences and give your opinions.

Challenge each other: for every sentence using 'so + adjective', try to make the same point with 'such + noun phrase' (and vice versa).

Answer Key

So and Such

Exercise 1 — Choose so or such

1. so    2. such    3. so    4. such    5. so

Exercise 2 — Correct the mistake

  1. It was so cold outside that we stayed in. / It was such cold weather that we stayed in.
  2. She's such a good teacher.
  3. (Correct — no change needed.)
  4. They were so generous that they paid for everything.

Exercise 3 — Complete with your own result clause

Students' own answers. Check: 'that' clause follows naturally. Result should be logical. Both clauses grammatically correct.

Exercise 4 — Rewrite the sentence

  1. It was such a long day that I fell asleep at 8pm.
  2. She speaks so quickly that I can't follow her.
  3. It's such hot food that I always burn my tongue.
  4. They are such kind neighbours that they offered to help immediately.
  5. He was so rude that everyone was shocked.

Exercise 5 — Complete with so or such (+ a/an if needed)

  1. such a
  2. such a
  3. so
  4. so
  5. such a
  6. so
  7. so
  8. such a