RAPPELS AG GEN.

1. SO/SUCH

We use SO+adj/adv: The story was SO stupid.

We use SUCH+noun: It was SUCH a stupid story.

SO and SUCH make the meaning of an adj/adv stronger:

It’s a lovely day, isn’t it? It’s SO warm.
We enjoyed our holiday. We had SUCH a good time.

We also use SO and SUCH with the meaning “like this”:

I’m tired because I got up at 6 o’clock. I don’t usually get up SO early.
The house was so untidy. I’ve never seen SUCH a mess.

2. ADJ/ADV

Note all words ending in –ly are adverbs:

Quick/quickly, serious/seriously, careful/carefully, quiet/quietly, heavy/heavily, bad/badly…

Adjectives describe a noun: Tom is a careful driver.

Adverbs describe a verb: Tom drove carefully along the narrow road.

We also use adverbs before adjectives and other adverbs:

Oh, I’m terribly sorry. I didn’t mean to push you.
The examination was surprisingly easy.

3.It is said that…/he is said to…

Henry is very old. Nobody knows how old he is but IT IS SAID THAT he is 108 years old.
Or HE IS SAID TO BE 108 years old.

You can use these structures with a number of other verbs: thought, believed, considered,
reported, known, expected…These structures are often used in reports.

4. Interested in BV-ing/interested to BV

I’M INTERESTED IN DOING something: I’m thinking of doing it, I’d like to do it.
Bill wants to stay single. He is not interested in getting married.
I WAS INTERESTED TO HEAR it: I heard it and it was interesting for me.
I was interested to know that Diane has got a new job.

5. MUCH, MANY, A LOT, PLENTY, LITTLE, FEW

We use MUCH and LITTLE with uncountable nouns: MUCH time, LITTLE energy
We use MANY and FEW with plural nouns: MANY friends, FEW cars
We use A LOT OF/LOTS OF/PLENTY OF with uncountable and plural nouns:
A LOT OF luck/friends, LOTS OF fun/people, PLENTY OF money/ideas

We use MUCH/MANY especially in negative sentences and questions. A LOT OF is also

possible but in positive sentences A LOT OF is more usual.
We didn’t spend MUCH money.
Do you know MANY people ?
A LOT OF people drive too fast.

LITTLE and FEW are negative ideas (=not much, not many) :
We must be quick, there is LITTLE time.
He is not popular. He has FEW friends.

A LITTLE and A FEW are more positive (=small, a small amount/number) :

Do you speak English ? A LITTLE.
When did you last see Jim ? A FEW days ago.