Learn how to use intensifiers like 'so' and 'such' to emphazie adjectives and nouns. Explore their usage in sentences, including with 'that' clauses. Understand the usage of 'so', 'such', 'enough', and 'too'. Take a quiz at the end to test your comprehension.
Using 'so' before an adjective or adverb emphasizes its intensity.
'Such' before a noun conveys a high degree or intensity, used with or without an indefinite article.
Deep dives
Using 'so' and 'such' for emphasis
We can use 'so' before an adjective or an adverb to emphasize its intensity. For example, we can say 'This coffee is so good' or 'Finn speaks English so well.' On the other hand, we use 'such' before a noun to convey a high degree or intensity. For instance, 'There was such a long queue' or 'My holiday was such a disaster.' 'Such' is used without the indefinite article 'a' when the noun is uncountable, but with the article when the noun is countable. In addition, we can use 'such' with an adjective and a noun together, like 'Adele has such an amazing voice' or 'We had such good weather in Greece.'
Using 'so' and 'such' in different contexts
Besides using 'so' and 'such' for emphasis, we can also use 'so' with a noun or verb for emphasis. For example, we can say 'That dress is so last year' to mean it is no longer fashionable. Similarly, we can use 'so' and 'such' with a 'that' clause to describe cause and effect, like 'It was so hot that they had to go indoors' or 'It was such a hot day that they had to stay indoors.' Additionally, we can use 'so' with 'many' or 'much' and a noun to describe a large amount or quantity, such as 'I had so much fun' or 'We visited so many places.'