A such是形容词,用于形容词+名词结构之前:
They had such a fierce dog that no one dared to go near their house.
他们有一条这样凶猛的狗,以致没人敢挨近他们家。
He spoke1 for such a long time that people began to fall asleep.
他说了这么长期,以致在座的人都犯困了。
B so是副词,用于副词和不带名词的形容词之前:
The snow fell so fast that our footsteps were soon covered up.
雪下得这么快,以致大家的脚印非常快就被雪盖住了。
His speech went on for so long that people began to fall asleep.
他的讲话这么长,以致在座的人都开始犯困了。
Their dog was so fierce that no one dared come near it.
他们的狗太凶猛了,所以没人敢挨近它。
但such不可以用于much和many之前,所以so可用于后跟名词的much和many之前:
There was so much dust that we couldnt see what was happening.
灰尘太大了,使得大家看不清出了什么事。
So many people complained that they took the programme off.
抱怨的人太多,所以他们取消了那个节目。
C 注意:such+a+形容词+名词可由so+形容词+a+名词来代替,所以such a good man可由so good a man来代替。这只能在名词前面有a/an的状况下用。这种形式不容易见到,但有时出目前文学作品中。
有时为了表示强调,so坐落于句首。这个时候后面跟动词的倒装形式(参见第45节):
So terrible was the storm that whole roofs were ripped2 off.
暴风真可怕,把整个的屋顶全都刮飞了。