So and Such
'So' and 'such' are both used for emphasis, but they follow different grammatical patterns. Knowing which to use depends on what follows.
The basic rule
| Word | Followed by | Example |
|---|---|---|
| so | adjective or adverb | It was so cold. She spoke so clearly. |
| such | (a/an) + (adjective) + noun | It was such a cold day. She is such a kind person. |
So + adjective / adverb
The film was so boring. (so + adjective)
He runs so fast. (so + adverb)
She is so talented. (so + adjective)
Such + (a/an) + noun phrase
It was such a hot day. (such a + adjective + singular countable noun)
They are such kind people. (such + adjective + plural noun — no article)
It was such good news. (such + adjective + uncountable noun — no article)
So/such … that
Both can be used with a result clause introduced by that.
It was so cold that the pipes froze.
She spoke so quietly that nobody could hear her.
It was such a good film that we watched it twice.
He's such a fast runner that he always wins.
So with much/many/few/little
There was so much traffic that we were late.
She had so many friends at the party.
We had so little time to prepare.
Common error: It was such cold ✗ / It was so cold ✓. If no noun follows, use 'so'. If a noun follows (with or without adjective), use 'such'.
Quick test: Can you find a noun after the emphasised word? If yes, use 'such'. If not (adjective or adverb only), use 'so'.