9.8 So . . . That / Such . . . That

There are many patterns with so and such . . . that.

EXAMPLES Dena was such a hard working student that her teachers recommended her to all the top colleges. The Lost Boys saw such terrible things that they will never forget them. Getting a driver’s license is so basic that citizens do not even think of it as a right. Children of immigrants learn English so easily that they become fluent in a short time. In Miami, there are so many Spanish speakers that you can hear Spanish wherever you go. Before DACA, there were so few opportunities for Dreamers that their lives were very hard. There was so much poverty in Ireland in the 1800s that many people were forced to leave the country. There was so little time to change planes that we had to run. Note: That is often omitted in informal speech.

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

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

such + adjective + plural noun + that

so + adjective + that

so + adverb + that

so many + plural count noun + that

so few + plural count noun + that

so much + noncount noun + that

so little + noncount noun + that

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 problems in our country that we decided to leave.

2. I waited long time that I thought I would never get permission.

3. When I got to the airport, the security lines were long that I had to wait for two hours.

4. There were

5. I was 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

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

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

10. Before DACA, there were educational opportunities available to Dreamers that their

job choices were very limited.

11. I spoke English when I arrived in the U.S. that I always had to take my dictionary

with me everywhere.

EXERCISE 19 Fill in the blanks with so, so much, so many, so little, so few, or such a. Then complete each statement with a result. Answers will vary.

1. I was happy when I got permission to come to the U.S. that

2. Many Dreamers were young when they came to the U.S. that

3. Some people have hard time learning English in the U.S. that

4. Some people had hard life in their native countries that

5. In 1910, there were

6. I had foreign-born Americans that

time to prepare for that trip that