Use Such and So

[Planetypus]

I think such is a specific word like "I don't have such a thing." Such in this sentence may have an antecedent in a previous sentence.

My question is, when do we use such and so in situations like:

It is unkind of him to ask a little child to do such many things in a day.
It is unkind of him to ask a little child to do so many things in a day.

So in this case, I believe, refers to general things, while such refers to some specific things previously mentioned. Am I right?

I want to learn more.

Many thanks.

[Mister Micawber]

.
It is a syntactic difference, as well as a difference in meaning, PP (but the difference is slight and occasional, and not as you have suggested). Here is how they construct:

Such a thing = that kind of thing (such + a/an + noun)
Such things = those kinds of things (such + noun)
Such stuff (such + noun; the uncountable equivalent of such things)
Such a big thing = of that size (such + a/an + adj + noun)
Such big things (such + adj + noun)

So many things = such a (great) number of things (so + adverb)
So much stuff (so + adv; the uncountable equivalent of so many things)
So beautiful = of that amount of beauty (so + adj; no noun)
So beautiful a day = a day of that amount of beauty (so + adj + a/an + noun)

Of your sentences, only the second is constructed correctly.
.
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Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's

[Planetypus]

Thanks! I find your answers very informative.

[Svitlana_Morokhovych]

Hello,
Could any one give me an example of using "such that", please.

Thank you.

Svitlana

[Milanya]

And as long as our culture is such that we have certain preconceived notions about each other that aren't all positive, well, this is what we're going to have.
Source information:
Date 2008 (080415)
Title Teaching Kids to Cope with Cops
Source Tell Me More 9:00-10:00 AM
and though the pain of my phantom arm was such that I wished to moan or cry out,
Source information:
.Date 2008
Publication information . Hoboken: Mar 2008 . Vol. 114, Iss. 3; pg. 43, 53 pgs
Title The Overseer
Source Fantasy & Science Fiction
" The nature of biological weapons is such that it is very difficult to figure out where something came from, "
Source information:
.Date 2008 (Aug 18, 2008)
Publication information . Vol. 172, Iss. 7; pg. 30
Title The Anthrax Files.
Author Amanda Ripley
Source [Time; New York(PMID: 28294)]
http://www.americancorpus.org/
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con·text - The part of a text or statement that surrounds a particular word or passage and determines its meaning.

[Skrej]

The weather was such that we couldn't go.
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Plan to be spontaneous tomorrow.
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