Basics. So, Such, and Such a: correct answers
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Do you know whether to say so beautiful or such a beautiful? In English, so is used to intensify adjectives and adverbs (e.g., The soup was so cold, He ran so quickly), while such and such a are used with noun phrases (e.g., It was such a disaster). You also need to know when to use so with quantifiers like many or much.
This challenge tests your ability to choose the correct intensifier across various entertaining scenarios. You will help a dramatic food critic review a terrible restaurant, complete an astronaut's frantic log about an alien encounter, and fix text messages from exhausted party planners and students.
You'll work through 12 questions featuring single-choice, multi-choice, drop-down, and drag-and-drop formats to master these tricky intensifiers.
Try the quiz to check your knowledge!
Correct answers
Question 1
The correct answers are There were so many balloons in the living room that I couldn't see the ceiling! and They brought such huge balloons that they wouldn't fit through the door.
We use so with quantifiers like many, much, few, and little (so many balloons).
We use such before an adjective + plural noun (such huge balloons).
Question 2
Complete the astronaut's frantic log entry about a bizarre alien planet by dragging the right words into the gaps.
The aliens moved so quickly that our cameras couldn't catch them. They had such long tentacles that they could reach the top of our spaceship. Surprisingly, they brought so many weird gadgets as peace offerings that we threw a party!
The aliens moved so quickly that our cameras couldn't catch them.
Use "so" before an adverb (like "quickly").
They had such long tentacles that they could reach the top of our spaceship.
Use "such" before an adjective and a plural noun (like "long tentacles").
Surprisingly, they brought so many weird gadgets as peace offerings that we threw a party!
Use "so many" before plural countable nouns (like "gadgets"). "So much" is for uncountable nouns, and "such" would need to be used without "many."
Question 3
The correct answers are The suspect ran so quickly that my partner couldn't catch him. and He was in such a hurry that he dropped his fake mustache.
We use so before an adverb (so + quickly).
We use such before a noun phrase, even if it doesn't have an adjective (such + a + hurry).
Question 4
The service was so slow that I managed to read an entire novel between my appetizer and my main course. Honestly, it was such a bizarre evening that I thought I was on a hidden camera show!
Use so before an adjective without a noun (e.g., so slow).
Use such a (or such an) before an adjective + singular countable noun phrase (e.g., such a bizarre evening).
Question 5
Complete the amazed pet owner's text message with the right word.
I didn't know turtles could move ___ quickly, but Barnaby just sprinted across the living room!
The correct answer is so.
We use so directly before an adverb (like "quickly") or an adjective to make it stronger.
- We use such when there is a noun following the adjective/adverb (e.g., "He is such a fast turtle"). Since "quickly" is an adverb describing how the turtle moves, and there is no noun after it, "so" is the perfect fit!
Question 6
The correct answers are The chef's special was so delicious that I ordered a second plate. and It was such a delicious meal that I ordered a second plate.
We use so directly before an adjective without a noun (so + delicious).
We use such before a noun phrase (such + a + delicious + meal).
Question 7
Drag the correct words to help Emily complete her dramatic apology text to her best friend.
I am so sorry I missed your birthday bash! I had such a busy day at work that I completely lost track of time. My boss gave me such impossible tasks to finish, and I was just too exhausted to move by 6 PM.
I am so sorry I missed your birthday bash!
Use "so" directly before an adjective without a noun (like "sorry").
I had such a busy day at work that I completely lost track of time.
Use "such a" before an adjective modifying a singular countable noun ("busy day").
My boss gave me such impossible tasks to finish, and I was just too exhausted to move by 6 PM.
Use "such" before an adjective modifying a plural noun ("impossible tasks"). Don't let the vowel in "impossible" trick you into using "an" here, because "tasks" is plural!
Question 8
Choose the correct word to complete the astronaut's complaint.
Packing for Mars is a nightmare because we have to wear ___ heavy spacesuits all day!
The correct answer is such.
We use such before plural nouns (like "spacesuits") or uncountable nouns, even when they have an adjective (like "heavy") describing them.
- We don't use "such a" because "spacesuits" is plural.
- We don't use "so" here because "so" is only used when the adjective or adverb stands alone without a noun (e.g., "The spacesuits are so heavy").
Question 9
Help the food critic finish their hilarious review of a terrible new restaurant by dragging the correct words into the blanks.
The chef's soup was such a disaster that even the stray cats ran away. The main course looked so unappetizing, I actually thought it was a modern art piece. We had such terrible service that we ended up pouring our own water!
The chef's soup was such a disaster that even the stray cats ran away.
Use "such a" (or "such an") before an adjective and a singular countable noun (like "disaster").
The main course looked so unappetizing, I actually thought it was a modern art piece.
Use "so" before an adjective on its own (like "unappetizing") without a noun following it.
We had such terrible service that we ended up pouring our own water!
Use "such" (without "a" or "an") before an adjective and an uncountable noun (like "service").
Question 10
Help the dramatic food critic complete his restaurant review by choosing the correct phrase.
The soup was terribly cold, and the main course was ___ disaster that I almost cried into my napkin.
The correct answer is such a.
We use such a (or such an) before a singular countable noun (like "disaster"), even when there is an adjective in front of it.
- So is used directly before adjectives or adverbs without a noun (e.g., "The soup was so cold").
- Such (without "a") is used before plural or uncountable nouns.
Question 11
Commander, the humans dress so strangely when the temperature drops. Furthermore, they have such unpredictable storms here that my spaceship's windshield wipers are completely broken!
Use so before an adverb (e.g., so strangely).
Use such (without a/an) before an adjective + plural countable noun (e.g., such unpredictable storms).
Question 12
We have so much reading to do before Monday! I tried studying at the local café, but they were playing such awful music that I couldn't concentrate on my textbook at all.
Use so before quantifiers like much, many, little, and few (e.g., so much reading).
Use such before an adjective + uncountable noun (e.g., such awful music). You cannot use such a here because "music" is uncountable.