“So … that” / “such … that”

So … that and such … that mean “to such a degree that”: the first part shows a very high degree and the that clause gives the result. The difference: so goes with an adjective / adverb, such goes with a noun.

In speech, that is often left out: I was so tired I fell asleep on the bus.

Look at what comes right after the gap. Only an adjective / adverb → so. A noun (even with an adjective before it) → such. With a singular countable noun, keep a / an after such.

• The test was so easy that everyone passed.

• It was such an easy test that everyone passed.

  a noun (test) follows → such an

• The kids were so noisy that the neighbours complained.

• They were such noisy kids that the neighbours complained.

  plural → no a

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

  English is uncountable → no a

After an ordinary verb use so + adverb: He drove so carefully that… (not: so careful).

💡The choice between so and such depends only on what follows. Ask yourself: “Is there a noun after the gap?” Yes → such (a); no → so. The pattern so + adjective + a + noun (so good a film) also exists, but it is very formal and rare.

Before a word of quantity, use so, not such: so many / so few + plural noun, so much / so little + uncountable noun. Such a lot of works with both kinds of noun.

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

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

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

• We had so little time that we skipped breakfast.

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

Very only shows degree; it can't take a that clause. So … that gives a result. Too … to means “more than is possible or acceptable” — see the lesson “Too … to / enough to”. Without that, so / such simply add emotion, stronger than very.

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

• The coffee was too strong for me to drink.

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

💡Don't use very … that or too … that: I was so hungry that I ate two bowls (not: 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.

  There's a noun → such a.

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

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

  Only an adjective → so.

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

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

  A singular noun needs a.

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

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

  Very can't take a that clause.

• ✗There were so much people that we left.

  ✓There were so many people that we left.

  People is plural → many.

• ✗She spoke so quiet that nobody heard her.

  ✓She spoke so quietly that nobody heard her.

  It describes a verb → adverb.