Use Such and So

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

I think such is a specific word like “I don’t have such a thing.” Such in this sentence may have an antecedent in a previous sentence.

My question is, when do we use such and so in situations like:

It is unkind of him to ask a little child to do such many things in a day.
It is unkind of him to ask a little child to do so many things in a day.

So in this case, I believe, refers to general things, while such refers to some specific things previously mentioned. Am I right?

I want to learn more.

Many thanks.

2

.
It is a syntactic difference, as well as a difference in meaning, PP (but the difference is slight and occasional, and not as you have suggested). Here is how they construct:

Such a thing = that kind of thing (such + a/an + noun)
Such things = those kinds of things (such + noun)
Such stuff (such + noun; the uncountable equivalent of such things)
Such a big thing = of that size (such + a/an + adj + noun)
Such big things (such + adj + noun)

So many things = such a (great) number of things (so + adverb)
So much stuff (so + adv; the uncountable equivalent of so many things)
So beautiful = of that amount of beauty (so + adj; no noun)
So beautiful a day = a day of that amount of beauty (so + adj + a/an + noun)

Of your sentences, only the second is constructed correctly.
.

3

Thanks! I find your answers very informative.

4

Hello,
Could any one give me an example of using “such that”, please.

Thank you.

Svitlana

5

And as long as our culture is such that we have certain preconceived notions about each other that aren’t all positive, well, this is what we’re going to have.
[size=75]Source information:
Date 2008 (080415)
Title Teaching Kids to Cope with Cops
Source Tell Me More 9:00-10:00 AM [/size]
and though the pain of my phantom arm was such that I wished to moan or cry out,
[size=75] Source information:
.Date 2008
Publication information . Hoboken: Mar 2008 . Vol. 114, Iss. 3; pg. 43, 53 pgs
Title The Overseer
Source Fantasy & Science Fiction [/size]
" The nature of biological weapons is such that it is very difficult to figure out where something came from, "
[size=75]Source information:
.Date 2008 (Aug 18, 2008)
Publication information . Vol. 172, Iss. 7; pg. 30
Title The Anthrax Files.
Author Amanda Ripley
Source [Time; New York(PMID: 28294)] [/size]
americancorpus.org/

6

The weather was such that we couldn’t go.