So / Such…that Grammar: The X factor is so bad that…

Look out for sentences containing ‘so…that/such…that’ highlighted in bold. Can you work out why we use them? If you can’t, don’t worry because there is a grammar explanation below the text.

I had such a long and tiring day yesterday that all I could do last night was crash in front of the TV. Unfortunately, I got sucked into watching the X factor, a singing reality-show contest. It did not improve the opinion I had of it, but rather increased my annoyance of these reality shows, like Big Brother (which I blogged about here). For anyone who cares, the X factor is a wildly popular show, which took over from Pop Idol, and is the brainchild of our very own Simon Cowell. It is so popular that the format has now started up in the USA. However, so much bad talent has come from this that you wonder how it is still going. Last night was the final between a guy from Liverpool, Marcus, and a teenage girl group, Little Mix. It was broadcasted live from Wembley Arena and it was so full of back-slapping and fake tears that it made you want to throw up. What is even more sickening was that the winner, Little Mix, usually releases a cover of a great song for Christmas, and turns it into something unbearable to listen to. In the last few years Leonard Cohen / Jeff Buckley’s song “Hallelujah”, David Bowie’s “Heroes” and last night Damien Rice’s “Cannonball” have all been re-done. These are originally such great songs that it is a real shame they have to be ruined by a reality show. Last night was no exception because the finalists sung it so badly that I could not believe that the judges only gave them praise. The only benefit that I can see from this is the exposure that the original artists get from their songs being covered and the royalties that will come their way. The views for Damien Rice’s Cannonball on YouTube increased by over 50% after the final, so at least the public can see how much better it is. Coldplay was also on the show, and that was such a surprise I wondered if they were really that desperate for the exposure. It is now normal for weekend TV during the latter part of the year to be dominated by the X Factor. I am just glad it is over for this one. Unfortunately it won’t be the last we will hear of it for this month because there is such big publicity that the Christmas No.1 song is now usually the winners of the show. After that who knows. With a few exceptions, there have been so many past winners of the show (particularly male ones) who are never heard of again. However, people think that Little Mix will be so popular that they could even be bigger than the Spice Girls. It would be such a shame for the music industry if they were, so fingers-crossed that they won’t! Here are the ‘pretty’ Little Mix singing with their mentor/judge, Tulisa. Do you really think that they will be bigger than The Spice Girls?

So / Such…that

So

We often use so / such…that to express a consequence.

  • Use so + adjective / adverb:

It is so popular that the format has now started up in the USA They sung so badly that I could not believe that the judges only gave them praise

  • Use so much / so many + noun:

So much bad talent has come from this show (that) you wonder how it is still popular There have been so many past winners of the show who are never heard of again

Such

  • Use such a + adjective + single countable noun:

I had such a long and tiring day yesterday (that)…

  • Use such + adjective + uncountable or plural noun:

These are originally such great songs (that) it is a shame they have to be ruined by a reality show There is such big publicity (that)…

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