“So … that” / “such … that”

So … that y such … that significan “tan … que, tanto … que”: la primera parte muestra un grado muy alto y la oración con that da el resultado. La diferencia: so va con un adjetivo / adverbio, y such, con un sustantivo.

Al hablar, that se omite a menudo: I was so tired I fell asleep on the bus.

Fíjate en lo que va justo después. Solo un adjetivo / adverbio → so. Un sustantivo (aunque lleve un adjetivo delante) → such. Con un sustantivo contable en singular, mantén a / an después de such.

• The test was so easy that everyone passed.

  El examen fue tan fácil que aprobaron todos.

• It was such an easy test that everyone passed.

  Fue un examen tan fácil que aprobaron todos. (sigue un sustantivo (test) → such an)

• The kids were so noisy that the neighbours complained.

  Los niños eran tan ruidosos que los vecinos se quejaron.

• They were such noisy kids that the neighbours complained.

  Eran unos niños tan ruidosos que los vecinos se quejaron. (plural → sin a)

• She speaks such good English that people think she grew up in London.

  Habla tan bien inglés que la gente cree que se crio en Londres. (English es incontable → sin a)

Después de un verbo normal, usa so + adverbio: He drove so carefully that… (no: so careful).

💡Elegir entre so y such depende solo de lo que sigue. Pregúntate: “¿Hay un sustantivo después?”. Sí → such (a); no → so. La estructura so + adjetivo + a + sustantivo (so good a film) también existe, pero es muy formal y poco común.

Delante de una palabra de cantidad, usa so, no such: so many / so few + sustantivo plural, so much / so little + sustantivo incontable. Such a lot of funciona con los dos tipos de sustantivo.

• There were so many motorbikes that the traffic didn't move for an hour.

  Había tantas motos que el tráfico no se movió durante una hora.

• I've got so much homework that I can't go out tonight.

  Tengo tanta tarea que no puedo salir esta noche.

• So few students signed up that the class was cancelled.

  Se inscribieron tan pocos estudiantes que cancelaron la clase.

• We had so little time that we skipped breakfast.

  Teníamos tan poco tiempo que no desayunamos.

• There was such a lot of noise that I couldn't hear the teacher.

  Había tanto ruido que no oía al profesor.

Very solo indica grado; no puede llevar detrás una oración con that. So … that da un resultado. Too … to significa “más de lo posible o aceptable”; mira la lección “Too … to” / “enough to”. Sin that, so / such simplemente añaden emoción, más fuerte que very.

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

  El café estaba tan fuerte que no pude dormir.

• The coffee was too strong for me to drink.

  El café estaba demasiado fuerte para que yo me lo tomara.

• Thanks for the flowers — you're so kind!

  Gracias por las flores, ¡eres muy amable!

💡No uses very … that ni too … that: I was so hungry that I ate two bowls (no: very hungry that / too hungry that).

• ✗It was so a good film that I watched it twice.

  ✓It was such a good film that I watched it twice.

  Hay un sustantivo → such a.

• ✗The room was such cold that we wore our coats.

  ✓The room was so cold that we wore our coats.

  Solo un adjetivo → so.

• ✗It was such nice day that we had a picnic.

  ✓It was such a nice day that we had a picnic.

  Un sustantivo en singular necesita a.

• ✗The music was very loud that we couldn't talk.

  ✓The music was so loud that we couldn't talk.

  Very no puede llevar una oración con that.

• ✗There were so much people that we left.

  ✓There were so many people that we left.

  People es plural → many.

• ✗She spoke so quiet that nobody heard her.

  ✓She spoke so quietly that nobody heard her.

  Describe un verbo → adverbio.