Grammar in Context 3 / English in the World

9.8 So . . . That / Such . . . That There are many patterns with so and such . . . that.

EXAMPLES

EXPLANATION

Dena was such a hard working student that her teachers recommended her to all the top colleges.

such + a/an + adjective + singular noun + that

The Lost Boys saw such terrible things that they will never forget them.

such + adjective + plural noun + that

Getting a driver’s license is so basic that citizens do not even think of it as a right.

so + adjective + that

Children of immigrants learn English so easily that they become fluent in a short time.

so + adverb + that

In Miami, there are so many Spanish speakers that you can hear Spanish wherever you go.

so many + plural count noun + that

Before DACA, there were so few opportunities for Dreamers that their lives were very hard.

so few + plural count noun + that

There was so much poverty in Ireland in the 1800s that many people were forced to leave the country.

so much + noncount noun + that

There was so little time to change planes that we had to run.

so little + noncount noun + that

Note: That is often omitted in informal speech.

Peter works so hard (that) he doesn’t have time to rest.

EXERCISE 18 Fill in the blanks with so, so much, so many, so few, so little, or such (a/an).

1. We had

so many

2. I waited

problems in our country that we decided to leave. long time that I thought I would never get permission.

3. When I got to the airport, the security lines were 4. There were 5. I was

long that I had to wait for two hours.

people arriving at the same time that the process took a long time. happy when I got my green card that I started to cry.

6. The U.S. offers

freedom that people from all over the world want to come here.

7. Before I got my visa, I had to fill out

papers and give

information that I thought I would never be able to do it.

8. We have been in the U.S. for

long time that we hardly speak our

native language anymore.

9. My neighbor’s daughter was

young when she arrived from China that she doesn’t

remember anything about China at all. continued

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