So and such

We often use so and such followed by a that clause to talk about a consequence or an effect. We often omit that in informal situations.

We use so before an adjective or adverb.

It was so damp (that) we decided not to play tennis.Agatha plays so well now (that) it’s very difficult to beat her.

We use so much with uncountable nouns and so many with plural nouns.

There was so much noise (that) the players couldn’t concentrate.There were so many people outside the stadium (that) we couldn’t find each other.

We can also use such a lot of instead of so much/many.

I had such a lot of work/such a lot of things to do (that) I had to stay in my study late.

So and such

We use such a/an + adjective + a singular countable noun, and such + adjective + an uncountable or plural noun.

It was such an exciting game (that) I didn’t want it to end.It was such horrible weather (that) the match had to be cancelled.They were both such great players (that) everyone wanted to see the match.

We often use so + adjective and such + noun or noun phrase without the that clause as exclamations.

It was such a lovely afternoon!She’s so cheeky!They’re such wonderful people!

So and such

! We can use so + adjective/adverb at the beginning of a clause for emphasis. When we do this the subject and verb are inverted.

So successful was the first night that everybody flocked to see the play.

This is much more formal than The first night was so successful that…

! such as = ‘for example’.He loves winter sports, such as skiing and snowboarding.