Roger Woodham replies:Use of 'so' and 'such'

If so here means 'in this way' or 'thus', it would normally come immediately after the main clause:

• 'Miles looked older than his brother, so revealing a strange maturity.' ('so' = less formal)
• 'Miles looked older than his brother, thus revealing a strange maturity.' ('thus' = more formal)

However, if you are using so or such for emphasis to mean 'to a very great degree or extent', their position immediately before the adjective is correct.

But take care using these two forms. It has to be such before a noun or before an adjective plus noun. So it will be:

• 'Miles looked older than his brother, revealing such a strange maturity.'

So is obviously used in a similar way, but is placed before adjectives standing alone or before adverb plus adjective, thus:

• 'She was so indescribably beautiful that we couldn't take our eyes off her.'

Remember:

such + noun
so + adjective
such + adjective + noun
so + adverb + adjective

The noun with such is normally preceded by the indefinite article:

• 'We had such a good time at Henry's party.'
• 'I've been working far too hard today and I've got such a headache now.'
• 'She really embarrassed me. She is such a fool.'

Occasionally, in certain expressions, when the noun has a gradeable meaning, the indefinite article is dropped:

• 'Such lovely countryside (around here)!'
• 'Such awful weather (these days)!'
• 'We had such fun at Henry's party!'
• 'I don't know how you have such patience (when dealing with such awkward customers).'

Frequently heard examples of so in this sense might include:

• 'I'm so glad you are here!'
• 'He was so pleased to see her.'
• 'Don't go so fast! Slow down!'
• 'What's so funny about that?'
• 'I'm so tired! It's as if I haven't slept for a week.'
• 'I love you so much!'

You will already have noticed from at least one of the above examples that so and such are often followed by 'that'-clauses suggesting result or consequence. Note that when plural nouns are used after such, the article is, of course, omitted.

• 'I'm so glad (that) you could come!'
• 'It had been so hot on the journey (that) we had to drink a litre of water when we arrived home.'
• 'There was so much to do on that holiday (that) nobody ever got bored.'
• 'They were such good swimmers (that) they had no difficulty swimming across the fast-flowing river.'
• 'She prepared such good meals (that) no one ever thought of going out to eat.'
• 'I've got such a high temperature (that) I'm hoping (that) my husband will drive me straight to the surgery when he gets home from work.'

There is one exception to the general rule as set out above and that is that only so can be used with indefinite determiners much and many and it is more usual with little and few when these are followed by a noun. We therefore have the new pattern:

so + determiner + noun

• 'So many sun-worshippers had crowded on to the beach that there was no space left for my towel.'
• 'I'm sure there will be so much noise in the restaurant that I shan't be able to hear what anybody is saying.'
• 'I had so little rest over the weekend that I couldn't go to work on Monday morning.'
• 'There were so few leaves on the tree that it was pointless to try to shelter from the rain beneath it.'

You cannot say: 'such many sun-worshippers', or 'such much noise' and it would be unusual to say: 'such few leaves' or 'such little rest'.

Finally compare:

• 'Such little people!' ('Little' here is used as an adjective meaning 'small'.)
• 'So few people!' ('Few' here is used as a determiner meaning 'not very many'.)

You will already have noticed from at least one of the above examples that 'so' and 'such' are often followed by that-clauses suggesting result or consequence. Note that when plural nouns are used after 'such', the article is, of course, omitted. 'I'm so glad (that) you could come!' 'It had been so hot on the journey (that) we had to drink a litre of water when we arrived home.' 'There was so much to do on that holiday (that) nobody ever got bored.' 'They were such good swimmers (that) they had no difficulty swimming across the fast-flowing river.' 'She prepared such good meals (that) no one ever thought of going out to eat.' 'I've got such a high temperature (that) I'm hoping (that) my husband will drive me straight to the surgery when he gets home from work.'