She is so skinny.

Her new boyfriend is so handsome.

Don’t be so naïve!

He drives so fast.

Her new outfit is so lovely.

The cake she made for my birthday is so beautiful!

This movie is so long.

It was so good to talk to you today!

When did he get so fat?

That’s so cool!

2. So CANNOT be used before an adjective + noun

X: She is so a beautiful woman.
X: She is a so beautiful woman.

 

Instead, before a noun use such:

such + adjective + noun

She is such a beautiful woman!

I love my new boyfriend. He’s such a great person!

You live in such a nice neighbourhood.

He is such a great singer!

We had such a great day today! The weather was so nice.

He tells such awful jokes.

I love listening to them sing. They have such beautiful voices!

3. So much and so many can be used when you want a stronger way of saying a lot!

With an uncountable noun, use so much:

so much + uncountable noun

I have so much studying to do before the test tomorrow!

Have you ever seen so much food?

There is so much work to be done before the house is clean!

What a great day for skiing! There is so much snow!

So much to do, so little time!

 

With a plural noun, use so many:

so many + plural noun

I’ve never seen so many people in one place!

It was a great party last night. I met so many new people!

She’s really popular. She has so many friends!

There are so many cards to choose from.

I took so many pictures when I was on vacation!

So many books to read, so little time!

There are so many people to thank for this award!

4. Special sentence structure with so:

So + adjective + that clause

This sentence structure is used to talk about a result (that clause) that occurs because of  so + adjective. That can be left out of the sentence.

The children were so quiet (that) I didn’t even know they were in the room!

The cake was so good (that) we couldn’t stop eating it!

She looks so different (that) I hardly recognize her!

We got to the station so late we missed the train!

 

*Adverbs can also be used in this sentence structure:

She ran so fast she won the race!

 

*Such, so many and so much can all be used in this sentence structure:

It was such a good book (that) I couldn’t put it down.

I read so many books last year (that) I can’t remember them all!

I have so much studying to do (that) I won’t be able to go to the party tonight!

 

Too

 

  • Too can be used the same way as so, but it has a completely different meaning.
  • Too is an intensifier that is used to mean more than needed, more than necessary, or more than enough. It is a negative expression

 

1. Like so, too is used BEFORE an adjective or adverb with NO noun.

Too + adjective / adverb (no noun)

We don’t see her very often. She lives too far away.

Turn the music down. It’s too loud!

She drives too fast.

Don’t work too hard!

Don’t stay out too late. You have to get up early tomorrow!

She tried memorizing the textbook the night before the exam, but it was too little, too late.

 

2. However, in two circumstances, too can be used in a positive statement:

You are too funny! = You are so funny! = You are very funny!

You are too kind! = You are so kind! = You are very kind!

 

3. Sometimes another intensifier can be added in front of too:

These pants are way too big on me.

She is way too skinny!

She is far too young to be wearing that kind of outfit!

It’s much too late to do anything about global warming.
(*not to be confused with too much!)

 

4. Too CANNOT be used before an adjective + noun

X: She is too a fat woman.
X: She is a too fat woman.

 

5. There is no similar word as such to use before adjective + noun

 

6. Too much and too many have a similar meaning as too.

With an uncountable noun, use too much:

too much + uncountable noun

I feel sick. I drank too much (alcohol) last night!

I ate too much chocolate.

It takes up too much time.

If he has that much time to play video games, then he has way too much time on his hands!

She was a famous singer by the time she was 15! The fame was too much, too soon.

 

*Sometimes students say to me, “Teacher, I love your class too much!” This is NOT a good thing to say! Too much is a negative expression. It’s better to say, “I like your class a lot” or “I really like your class!”

 

With a plural noun, use too many:

too many + plural noun

Is it possible to have too many friends?

She’s fooled me one too many times.

How many TVs are too many?

There are way too many cars on the road.

My son is so spoiled. He has far too many toys!

I’m being pulled in too many directions!

 

7. Special sentence structure with too:

too + adjective + infintive (to do something)

This structure is used to explain why someone can’t do something.

I’m too tired to go out tonight.

This soup is too hot to eat.

She is too young to drive a car!

This box is too heavy to carry.

I don’t want to go to bed yet! It’s too early (to go to bed).

We’re far too young to get married.

It’s too dangerous to walk around this neighbourhood at night.

There’s no use getting upset. It’s too late to do anything about it now.

It’s too good to be true!

I can’t go to her party tonight, I have too much work to do!

The house was too expensive to buy.

Her offer was too good to refuse.

 

*Adverbs can also be used:

She drove too slowly to arrive on time.

We got home too late to see the beginning of the TV show.

 

*Too many and too much can also be used:

There were too many people at the picnic to count.

I had too much work to do yesterday.

 

8. Another special sentence structure with too:

too + adjective + for someone/something (+ infinitive)

This sweater is too big for me to wear.

We can’t go on this roller coaster. Alice is too short for this ride!

I’m too old for dolls! = I’m too old to play with dolls!

This box is too heavy for me to carry.

 

~

 

Back to the original question:

You’ve got to tell him that he’s getting so old to drive a car.

You’ve got to tell him that he’s getting too old to drive a car.

Have you figured out yet which sentence is correct?

 

~

 

Quiz:

1. The soup was ______ hot that I couldn’t eat it.

2. The soup was ______ hot to eat.

3. It’s _______ cold to go outside.

4. There were far ________ people at the party for me to meet them all!

5. Susan Boyle’s CD was _____ good that I rushed out and bought it right away!

6. “Did you buy that new car?”
~ “No, I didn’t. It cost _______.”

7. He’s _______ a nice guy!

8. We are _______ far away that I don’t think we’re going to be on time for the concert.

9. I can’t stand spending time with her – she is ______ rude!

10. He’s _______ intelligent for his class – he’s not learning anything.

Answers:

1. so 2. too 3. too 4. too many 5. so 6. too much 7. such 8. so 9. so 10. too
Original question:

You’ve got to tell him that he’s getting too old to drive a car.

Did you get it right?


Grammar: So, such, too, enough

Too
Use:
Too means there is a lot of something. It shows a negative opinion.
It’s too hot = It is very hot and I don’t like it.

Form:
You can use too before an adjective.
It’s too cold. My trousers are too small.

You can also use it before an adverb,
You walk too fast. James speaks too quietly.

Before a noun, use too much (uncountable nouns) or many (countable nouns).
I ate too much food.
I ate too many sandwiches.

You can also use too much after a verb.
I ate too much.
Paul drinks too much.

Enough
Use:
Enough means you have what you need.
We have enough food for everyone = everyone has some food.
We don’t have enough food for everyone = some people don’t have chairs.

Form:
Write enough before a noun.
We have enough chairs.

But write it after an adjective or verb.
Are you warm enough?  He’s qualified enough. She isn’t tall enough to be a model.

You don’t work hard enough. Are you sleeping enough?

Sentences with enough are sometimes followed by to + verb infinitive.
I’m not tall enough to reach the book.
I haven’t got enough money to buy that coat.

So
Use:
So means very.
It’s so hot!

Form:
So is generally used before an adjective or an adverb.
He’s so funny! He plays the piano so well!

However, in modern English, it is increasingly being used before nouns and verbs.
That dress is so last year! (= That dress is last year’s fashion)
I’m so going to shout at him when I see him! (so = really)

So can be used with a that clause, to show a result of the first clause.
I was so hot that I couldn’t sleep.


Such
Use:
Such also means very. Such is used before an adjective and noun.
They are such nice children. 

Form:
A / an, if necessary, go after such, not before.
That’s a such pretty dress. => That’s such a pretty dress!

Like So, Such can be used with a that clause, to show a result of the first clause.
I was such a nice day that we decided to go to the park.


Common mistakes

1) Some students use too with a positive meaning. But use so or very here
It’s too hot! I love the summer! => It’s so hot! I love the summer!

2) Some students write enough in the wrong place.
Do we have sugar enough? => Do we have enough sugar?

3) Some students use so / such…that incorrectly.
It was so hot that the sun was shining.
This sentence is not correct because ‘the sun was shining’ is not a direct result of ‘It was so hot’. The hot day did not cause the sun to shine.