Sentence Structure & Word Order

So vs. Such

1 min read

So and such are used to add emphasis. They both mean “very,” but they are used with different grammatical structures.

1. So → before adjectives and adverbs

Use so before an adjective or an adverb.

She is so tired.
He runs so fast.

Structure:

so + adjective → so tired
so + adverb → so quickly

2. Such → before nouns (often with adjectives)

Use such before a noun or adjective + noun.

It’s such a good movie.
They are such kind people.

Structure:

such + (a/an) + adjective + noun

3. Key difference

So → adjective or adverb only
Such → noun phrase

She is so intelligent. (adjective)
She is such an intelligent person. (noun phrase)

4. Common mistakes

❌ She is such tired.
✔️ She is so tired.

❌ It’s so a good idea.
✔️ It’s such a good idea.

5. “So” and “Such” with “that”

Both can be used to show a result.

She was so tired that she fell asleep.
It was such a long movie that we left early.

💡 Tip

So → no noun after it
Such → followed by a noun
If you see “a/an” → use such

Test your knowledge 📝

Question 1 sur 10Score: 0/10

She is ___ tired after work.

Discover the app: Shaky English

Join 100,000 people who are improving their English skills on the Shaky English app

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Sentence Structure & Word Order

So vs. Such

1 min read

So and such are used to add emphasis. They both mean “very,” but they are used with different grammatical structures.

1. So → before adjectives and adverbs

Use so before an adjective or an adverb.

She is so tired.
He runs so fast.

Structure:

so + adjective → so tired
so + adverb → so quickly

2. Such → before nouns (often with adjectives)

Use such before a noun or adjective + noun.

It’s such a good movie.
They are such kind people.

Structure:

such + (a/an) + adjective + noun

3. Key difference

So → adjective or adverb only
Such → noun phrase

She is so intelligent. (adjective)
She is such an intelligent person. (noun phrase)

4. Common mistakes

❌ She is such tired.
✔️ She is so tired.

❌ It’s so a good idea.
✔️ It’s such a good idea.

5. “So” and “Such” with “that”

Both can be used to show a result.

She was so tired that she fell asleep.
It was such a long movie that we left early.

💡 Tip

So → no noun after it
Such → followed by a noun
If you see “a/an” → use such

Test your knowledge 📝

Question 1 sur 10Score: 0/10

She is ___ tired after work.

Discover the app: Shaky English

Join 100,000 people who are improving their English skills on the Shaky English app

Other similar rules

A bit of theory

Disinterested vs. Uninterested

Vocabulary

Em Dash vs. En Dash vs. Hyphen

Common confusions

I.e. vs. E.g.

Common confusions

Whether vs. If

Common confusions

Less vs. Fewer

Common confusions

Cue vs. Queue

Cue and queue sound the same, but they mean very different things. Mixing them up can change the entire meaning of a sentence. Cue Cue is usually a noun or a verb meaning: a signal or prompt to do...

Common mistakes

Conditional Forms (Zero, First, Second, Third)

Common confusions