5.10 So, such

These words correspond to tan in Spanish. So goes with an adjective alone; such goes with a noun or an adjective + noun, e.g.:

Mary is so pleasant. (Mary es tan agradable.)

Mary is such a pleasant girl. (Mary es una joven tan agradable.)

The girls are so helpful. (Las jóvenes son tan serviciales.)

They are such helpful girls. (Son unas jóvenes tan serviciales.)

Jim is so foolish. (Jim es tan simple.)

Jim is such a fool. (Jim es tan simple.)

The consequence is expressed with a that-clause, e.g.:

It was so dark (that) we couldn't see anything. (Estaba tan oscuro que no veíamos nada.)

Jim is such a fool (that) nobody takes him seriously. (Jim es tan simple que nadie le toma seriamente.)

The blow was so serious (that) Maureen never fully recovered. (El golpe fue tan grave que Maureen nunca se recuperó del todo.)

So serious was the blow (that) Maureen never fully recovered. (Tan grave fue el golpe que Maureen nunca se recuperó del todo.)

It was such a serious blow (that) Maureen never fully recovered. (Fue un golpe tan grave que Maureen nunca se recuperó del todo.)

Such was the blow (that) Maureen never fully recovered. (Tan grave fue el golpe que Maureen nunca se recuperó del todo.)

More formally this can also be expressed as, e.g.:

The blow was such (that) Maureen never fully recovered. (El golpe fue tal que Maureen nunca se recuperó del todo.)

	See also inversion, subordinate clauses.