Connective Part Two

Skill: Grammar  

Category: General  English & Academic English

Level: Advanced

Connectives

Part Two

Using Such … That and So … That to express Cause and Effect.

a) Because the test was easy, all the students passed.

b) It was such an easy quiz that all the students passed.

c) The quiz was so easy that all the students passed.

The above sentences have the same meaning.

Such … that encloses a modified noun (such + adjective + noun + that)

Ex: He was such a kind man that everyone liked him.

Ex: It was such a delicious pizza that I ordered one more.

So … that encloses an adjective or adverb (So + adjective / adverb + that)

Ex: She speaks so fast that I cannot understand.

Ex: My living is so dense that I cannot accommodate bed and refrigerator.

Many, few, much and little can be used with so…that.

Ex: My grandfather had so much money that he could travel everywhere.

Ex: He made so many mistakes that he failed the TOEFL test.

Exercise. Complete the sentences with so or such

1- It was _____________________ a delicious meal that everyone wanted to eat.

2-  The meal was ____________________ delicious meal that everyone wanted to eat.

3- I have wanted to talk ______________________ many times, but he always refused.

Using so that to express purpose

Ex: I turned off the music in order to enable my son sleep comfortably.

Ex: I turned off the music so (that) my son could sleep comfortably.

In the above examples in order to and so that express purpose.

So That + Can or Could

When the idea of ability matters, so that is used not in order to. Can is used in the adverb clause to express a present or future meaning.

Ex: I am saving money so that I can pursue my education in a prestigious university.

In the above example so that I can means in order to be able.

To express past ability, could is used after so that.

Ex: I saved money so that I could pursue my education in a prestigious university.

Exercise. Combine the sentences by using so (that)

1- Please turn off the TV. I want to be able to study in peace.

2- I put my juice in the refrigerator. I wanted to make sure it didn’t spoil.

3- Please be quit. I want to be able to listen to the news.