Understanding how to connect ideas is an important part of speaking and writing in English. In this lesson, we look at two very useful structures: so/such… that and too… to / (not) enough… to. These help you explain reasons, results, and limits in a clear way.
1. SO / SUCH … THAT
We use so and such to talk about a cause, and that to show the result.
👉 Grammar
so + adjective + that
I’m so tired that I want to sleep right now.
such + a/an + adjective + noun + that
It was such a good movie that I watched it twice.
👉 When to use SO
Use so before an adjective or adverb. ✔ The people were so friendly that I felt relaxed.
👉 When to use SUCH
Use such before an adjective + noun. ✔ It’s such a beautiful day that I want to go outside.
Examples
The problem was so big that I needed help.
She has such long hair that everyone notices her.
2. TOO … TO / (NOT) ENOUGH … TO
These structures explain that something is more or less than we want or need.
👉 TOO … TO
Use too + adjective + to + verb → shows something is more than you want or a negative result.
✔ It’s too cold to go for a walk. ✔ He was too nervous to speak.
👉 (NOT) ENOUGH … TO
Use:
not enough + noun ✔ There isn’t enough time to finish.
adjective + enough ✔ She isn’t strong enough to lift it.
→ means you don’t have as much as you want.
Let’s Practice!
Practice 1
Practice 2
Practice 3
Speaking
Practice 1
Discuss the following questions
Practice 2
Read the information in the card.
Make a sentence using too, enough, so or such.
Example:
The card says: “There were 20 chairs and 20 people.”
My sentence: There were enough chairs to seat all the people .
Understanding the difference between them is essential for choosing the correct tense.
We use action verbs to describe things we do — activities, movements, and processes. We use stative verbs to describe what we think, feel, have, or are. These verbs talk about a state rather than an action.
This difference explains why we say:
I’m eating dinner. ✅ (an action happening now) but I know the answer. ✅ (a state — not an action)
⚡ Action Verbs
Action verbs describe things that happen — physical or mental actions. They can be temporary or in progress, so we often use them with the Present Continuous.
Action Verb
Example in Present Simple
Example in Present Continuous
work
I work in an office.
I’m working late today.
eat
She eats breakfast at 8.
She’s eating right now.
study
They study English.
They’re studying for the test.
play
He plays football every weekend.
He’s playing now.
🧠 Use the Present Continuous for actions happening now or around now.
I’m cooking dinner. They’re studying this week.
🕒 Use the Present Simple for routines or facts.
I cook dinner every day. They study every Tuesday.
🧘 Stative Verbs
Stative verbs describe states — not actions. They tell us about feelings, thoughts, senses, possession, or relationships. We don’t usually use them in continuous form (-ing).
Category
Common Stative Verbs
Examples (Present Simple)
Feelings
love, like, hate, prefer
I love this song. / She doesn’t like coffee.
Thinking / Opinion
know, believe, remember, understand, think*
I know the answer. / I believe you.
Senses
see, hear, smell, taste
I hear some music. / This soup tastes good.
Possession
have, own, belong
I have a car. / This book belongs to me.
Being / Appearance
be, seem, look (adj.)
You are nice. / It seems difficult.
⚠️ We don’t usually say:
❌ I’m knowing the answer. ✅ I know the answer. ❌ She’s liking pizza. ✅ She likes pizza.
💡 Verbs with Both Meanings
Some verbs can be action or stative, depending on the situation and meaning.
Verb
Stative Meaning (not -ing)
Action Meaning (-ing OK)
think
I think it’s a good idea. (= have an opinion)
I’m thinking about my plans. (= considering)
have
I have a car. (= possess)
I’m having lunch. (= eating)
see
I see what you mean. (= understand)
I’m seeing the doctor tomorrow. (= meeting)
be
He is nice. (= characteristic)
He’s being rude. (= behaving temporarily)
look
You look tired. (= appear)
You’re looking at the screen. (= action)
🪄 Tip: When a verb describes a temporary action, you can usually use the -ing form.
🧩 Grammar Summary
Use
Tense
Form
Example
Habit / fact
Present Simple
Subject + base verb (+s/es)
I play tennis.
Now / temporary
Present Continuous
Subject + am/is/are + verb-ing
I’m playing tennis.
State (feeling, thought, possession)
Present Simple
Subject + stative verb
I believe you.
✅ We don’t use stative verbs in continuous tenses.
for the B1 Cambridge test (PET) or the General Training IELTS test
Informal emails are the ones that people write to their friends, family members or people they know well. The language used in this type of emails is more casual and similar to the way that we speak.
informal email
formal email
friends family members people we know well
people we don’t know bosses or managers doctors, teachers and professors
Informal emails have a standard format, so they must include the following parts:
1. Greetings: We say hi! to the other person.
2. Opening paragraph: we react to the news that the other person has shared or we apologize and explain why we didn’t reply earlier.
3. Main paragraph 1: Here you answer the main question or request
4. Main paragraph 2: If there is more information or a different idea to deal with, you can write it in this paragraph (you can add more paragraphs if needed)
5. Closing paragraph: In this paragraph you start the farewell by sending good wishes to the other person and asking them to reply soon
6. Goodbye: We say goodbye! to the other person
7. Signature: write down your name/ nickname
Now that you know which parts should be included in an informal email reply, let’s see an example:
This is a part of an email you received from your Canadian friend Sandy.
When are you arriving in Toronto? If you send me your flight number and arrival time, I can meet you in the arrivals area.
Is there anything special you would like to do or see in Canada?
Now write an email to her.
Below you can find a list of formulaic expressions and connectors that you can include to replace the phrasesin red in the example.
Useful language:
formulaic expressions for informal emails
Greetings
Hi [name],
Dear [name],
Hey [name]
Hey!
Opening expressions
I hope things in (city) are going well.
How is it going?
Thanks for your email.
Thanks a lot for writing.
It was great to hear from you.
It was good to receive your email.
Sorry for not writing earlier.
Sorry that I haven’t been in touch for a while.
I hope you are well.
Responding to news
Sorry to hear about … (sad news)
I’m really sorry to hear you news. (sad news)
Glad to hear that … (happy news)
It’s great to hear that … (happy news)
Good luck with … (a new project/ a trip/ a new class/ a new job…)
Hope you get better soon.
Stating the purpose of your email
I’m writing to let you know…
I’m writing to tell you about…
I’m writing to invite you to ….
I was wondering if you would like to …
I’d be really nice if you could …
Regarding your question …
Closing expressions
Anyway. Gotta go.
Well, that’s all for now.
Well, it’s time to go.
Anyway/Well. It’s time to say goodbye.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
I really hope to hear from you soon.
Make sure you write back soon.
Give my regards/ love to … (person).
Drop me a line.
Goodbye
Take care,
Best wishes,
Have a good day/ weekend,
Lots of love,
See you soon,
Regards,
Sincerely,
Best,
Best wishes,
Useful language: connectors
to add ideas
As well as that…
Also…
As for + noun
to contrast ideas
However, … + SVO
Although …+ SVO
In spite of … + gerund/ noun
Instead of … + gerund/ noun
Pro tips for writing informal emails
Use the standard format that English speakers use to write informal emails.
Use formulaic expressions.
Use contractions (I’m, I’ve, I’d, don’t, can’t, won’t, etc.).
Use informal words and expressions.
Don’t forget to ANSWER the questions that your friend has asked you.
Time to practice
The best way to improve your writing is to practice. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Remember that practice makes progress.
Now it’s your turn to write an informal email.
You have just received an email from a friend you have not spoken to in a long while. Write a two or three-paragraph response to your friend explaining to your friend that you have started an English course. Share your experience learning English and your future goals with your friend.
Type your answer in the reply section and I will give you personalized feedback.
Pro tips for writing informal emails
Time to practice