exercises on intensifier

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Message de hela posté le 2004-11-20 05:01:58 (S | E | F | I)
Hello everyone,

I'm looking for exercises on the web which would help me understand the difference in meaning, and use, between the following intensifiers:

so / so ... that; such / such a ... that; very; too; enough / enough ... to.

Do you know of any other problematic constructions?
Would you please tell me where I can find such exercises?

I have found the following instructions on intensifiers :

“Avoid using so as an intensifier, as in "It's so hot." "So" on its own, where "very" belongs, is a no-no.”

I didn’t understand the last sentence. Would you please explain it to me?

Thanks a lot.

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Edité par bridg le 20-11-2004 18:43

Réponse: re:exercises on intensifier de zebul37, postée le 2004-11-20 15:58:30 (S | E)
I try to help you but in English it's a little bit difficult.

So = likewise or to accentuate an adjective.
So that = It's raining so that I have to stay at home. if although.

Such = it's to introduce a kind of something (a book for example)
Such as = like

Very = it's for speak about something but more. Per example : thanks very much = a lot or I'm very hungry = I'm starving, This room is very small = tiny....

Too+adj = excessively too much with uncountable and too many with countable.

Enough = I have too many biscuits, it's enough. I don't want more.
Do you want an other coffee ? No, thanks it's enough.
With an adjective enough is after. This cake is big enough.

I hope it's not too false. And I can help you.
Bye

Réponse: re:exercises on intensifier de marie37400, postée le 2004-11-20 18:18:05 (S | E)
Hello Hela,
I have found some elements about your query.
First, to answer the last sentence, I suggest the following translation :
Avoid using so as an intensifier, as in "It's so hot." "So" on its own, where "very" belongs, is a no-no.
Evitez l'utilisation de so comme "intensifier", comme dans "It's so hot".
"Si" tout seul, alors qu'il faudrait "very" ne s'emploie pas.
Well, now these are the explanations that I have found from different sources from the Internet :
The full grammatical explanation is that an adjective modified by the intensifiers 'too', 'so' or 'enough' can be separated from its complementation if the adjective is placed before the indefinite article of the noun phrase.

Let's take "It was so hot a day that we went out."
Adjective: hot
Intensifier: so
Complementation of the adjective: that we went out
Indefinite article: a
Noun phrase: a day...

Other examples:
"So easy a boy to teach is hard to find."
"He is not brave enough a student to attempt the course."
"She thought Japanese too difficult a language to learn."
"I have never met so easy a man to please."

It doesn't mean, however, that you cannot use a different construction.
"She thought Japanese a language too dificjuult to learn", for example, and "I've never met a man so easy to lease" are correct as well.

The expressions Such ... That, So ... That, and Too
a. Such ... That
The determiner such is often used in combination with a clause beginning with that, in order to indicate a cause and effect relationship.
e.g. There was such a strong wind that we decided to stay indoors.

b. So ... That
The word so combined with a clause beginning with that can also be used in order to indicate a cause and effect relationship.

Whereas such usually modifies a noun, in this construction so is used as an intensifier modifying an adjective or adverb.
e.g. The wind was so strong that we decided to stay indoors.
His marks are so high that he has applied for a scholarship.
The wind blew so fiercely that we decided to stay indoors.

In informal English, the word that in the expressions such ... that and so ... that is often omitted.
e.g. There was such a strong wind, we decided to stay indoors.
The moon was so bright, we could see for miles.

c. Too
The intensifier too used in combination with an infinitive can also be used to indicate a cause and effect relationship. In the following examples, the word too is printed in bold type, and the infinitives are underlined.
e.g. It is too windy for us to go outside.
He is too poor to continue studying without a scholarship.
It was raining too hard for us to leave the house.
In the first two examples, too modifies the adjectives windy and poor. In the last example, too modifies the adverb hard.

So, I'll go to the exercises forum to post an exercise about SO SUCH AND TOO!!
I'm far from being an English teacher, so if someone wants to interfere with my post, he will be welcome !!!!
MARIE

Réponse: re:exercises on intensifier de hela, postée le 2004-11-28 15:38:28 (S | E)
Hi everyone,

Thank you for your answers. It's much appreciated!
If you come across any good, but not too easy, exercises on intensifiers on the web, please let me know.

If YOU have such exercises, would you please be kind enough to put them up?

Thank you for your collaboration.
Hela

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