Hi I'm Arnel from Arnel's Everyday English, and I want to help you
understand the difference between so and such. There are only four simple steps to understanding
the difference between these two words. My lesson plan for today is:
So. Such. Comparing so and such. So/such/
that. A very important structure. Okay that looks nice and easy, let's
continue!
So, so means very. Of course so has a lot of other definitions but today if we're
comparing it with such, it means very. We use so + adjective or adverb.
Oh this food looks so good! I have so plus my adjective, good.
This man was playing the violin so beautifully. Not like me. I have so plus
my adverb, beautifully. Let's do another one.
This is so weird. I have so + adjective weird. Okay we can also use so plus many
or much, plus a noun. When do I use many? When do I use much? I
use many with countable nouns, and much with uncountable nouns.
What's a countable noun? What's an uncounutable noun?
A countable noun has a singular and a plural form. Dog, dogs. Hat, hats. Person,
people. These are all countable nouns, used with many.
Uncountable nouns do not have a singular or plural form, there's one form. I drink
a lot of water, not waters. Its information never, informations. There's
only one form. Okay.
Nicole, why do you drink so much coffee? So much plus an uncountable noun.
I'm under so much pressure at work. So much plus uncountable noun.
Brian, why do you own so many stuffed animals? So many plus countable noun.
When I went to LA I met so many wonderful people.
So many plus countable noun, people. As you can see in the last two examples I
have an adjective in the middle, but that's okay. It's very important to
understand if you use so many/so much, you must have a noun.
Let's move on to such!
Okay, it's such plus noun. Normally an adjective goes in-between.
Why do I have a and an in parentheses?Use a and an if your noun is a singular noun. If it is a
plural noun or uncountable noun, do not use a or an.
Yesterday was such a beautiful day. If you want to sound more natural,
try to make such and a one sound. Sucha, sucha, sucha. Yesterday was sucha beautiful
day. My students put on such an amazing
performance. Again, if you want to sound more natural,
combine such an. Suchan, suchan, suchan. My students put on suchan amazing
performance. Why do I use a? Why do I use an? We use
a before a consonant sound and an before a vowel sound.
My son is being such a little monster today.
You know when I was a teenager I never appreciated it, but I had such patient
parents. Here, why don't I have a or an? Because
parents is a plural noun. So, let's look at so and such
side-by-side.
Okay I'm always so hungry. I have such a big appetite.
So, plus adjective. Such a plus that noun. I am so sick today (cough)
I have such a bad cold. A cold is a virus. So plus adjective. Such a plus noun, cold.
My brother always uses so much toilet paper.
My brother always uses such much toilet paper? No.
Remember, if you want to use much or many, you need to use so. You cannot use much
or many with such.
When I went to Rome, I took so many great pictures.
So many plus my noun. Okay let's break this down. So, here are the grammar points
we discussed. We have so plus adjective. So many/much plus noun. Such plus noun.
We're going to add, that. We use this grammar to give a result. B happens because a
happened.
Yesterday I was so tired that I went to bed at 8:00, This happened, so this
happened. Why did I go to bed at 8:00? Because I was so tired.
I was so angry that I couldn't breathe. This happened and then this happened.
Why couldn't I breathe? Because I was so angry.
There were so many people on the bus that I decided to walk. Why did I decide
to walk? Because there were so many people on the bus.
My neighbour is such a nice lady that I decided to bake her cookies.
Why did I bake her cookies? Because she's such a nice lady. Okay, that's everything!
You've done an excellent job. If you want to see more mini lessons and videos
don't forget to SUBSCRIBE, and I can't wait to see you soon.