So Difficult a Decision; Too Great a Risk

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So Difficult a Decision; Too Great a Risk

In this lesson, you can form and paraphrase the marked so noun phrase.

Created by , British English teacher.

I’m studying:

Try the activities, then check your answers.

Choose a short recording.

Before you start

Describe a difficult decision in an ordinary noun phrase.

See one possible response

It was such a difficult decision.

A fictional editorial team decides how to describe a difficult choice about a book’s length.

What you will practise
  • Form and paraphrase the marked so noun phrase.
  • Preserve the threshold meaning in a marked too phrase.
  • Reformulate for register while retaining degree and countability.

Respond before revealing. Preserve participant roles, source limits and register; justify a valid alternative where the context permits it.

So + adjective + a/an + noun

A marked pattern places so and its adjective before the article: so difficult a decision. It is more formal than such a difficult decision. The target is a singular countable noun phrase, not a general alternative for every noun.

We had not faced so difficult a decision before.

It was such a difficult decision that we asked for more time.

They weigh a difficult decision between two mutually exclusive event venue models, pausing with thoughtful tension and holding the selection folder. No decided winner or arbitrarily invented outcome.
So difficult a decisionThe singular countable noun follows the article.

Too + adjective + a/an + noun

Too can use the same order: too great a risk. It means the degree exceeds a relevant limit, not simply that it is large. Keep any following infinitive or context that states the limit.

Removing the final chapter would be too great a change for this edition.

It is too complex a question to settle in one sentence.

Choose a suitable register

The marked order can suit formal prose, but a neutral clause may be clearer: The change would be too great. Do not replace too with very if the excess meaning matters. An article’s form follows the next spoken sound, even when the adjective comes earlier.

It was too sudden a change to explain easily.

The change was too sudden to explain easily.

The word after the article determines its form

Marked so orderso interesting an example

An precedes example, which begins with a vowel sound.

Neutral such ordersuch an interesting example

An now precedes interesting, also a vowel sound.

The article moves with the noun phrase pattern. Read the word immediately following it aloud when choosing a or an.
They judge an excessive practical risk while examining a cracked ladder rung on an isolated folded ladder, choosing to refrain from using it. Keep both adults safely on the ground; the context makes the risk excessive, not a disaster scene.
Too great a riskToo expresses excess relative to the context, not merely a large degree.

Guided practice

Say or write your answer first. Then compare the meaning and grammar with the model.

1. a / difficult / so / decision

Compare a model and explanation

so difficult a decision

The degree word and adjective precede the article.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

2. It was so unusual an event. Use such.

Compare a model and explanation

It was such an unusual event.

Such takes the article before the adjective.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

3. It is too difficult a task to finish today. Recast with The task.

Compare a model and explanation

The task is too difficult to finish today.

The infinitive limit remains.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

4. Does too great mean only very great?

Compare a model and explanation

No.

Too says the degree exceeds a relevant limit.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

5. It was so a difficult choice. Use the marked so pattern.

Compare a model and explanation

It was so difficult a choice.

The adjective must precede the article in this target construction.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

6. too important ___ issue: choose a/an before issue.

Compare a model and explanation

too important an issue

An immediately precedes the vowel sound in issue.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

7. Can so difficult a be used unchanged before plural decisions?

Compare a model and explanation

No.

The article a is singular; use such difficult decisions or a clause.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

8. A short message says It is too complex a matter to explain by text. Give a clearer conversational version.

Compare a model and explanation

It’s too complicated to explain by text.

The neutral version preserves the limit without the marked noun phrase.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

A short conversation

Listen to the exchange, then take one role. The speaker labels identify roles; do not narrate them.

Open the conversation transcript

Editor: Removing the ending would be too great a change for this edition.

Writer: That sounds rather formal. Can we say The change would be too great?

Editor: Yes, as long as we keep the limit clear.

Writer: Then I’ll add for an edition already prepared for printing.

Listening checks

Listen to each extract, then choose the best answer. These three questions have their own score.

1. What does too contribute?
Read the listening transcript

It is too complex a question to settle in one sentence. We need a longer discussion.

2. What happened as a stated result?
Read the listening transcript

It was so difficult a decision that we asked for another day.

3. What distinction matters?
Read the listening transcript

The editor changed too great a change to a very great change. The writer objected because the new version lost the idea of exceeding an acceptable limit.

Answer key with explanations

  1. What does too contribute?

    Complexity exceeds the limit of a one-sentence answer.: The following context identifies the threshold.

    Compare all choices
    • Complexity is being praised without any limit.: Too marks excess for the stated purpose.
    • Complexity exceeds the limit of a one-sentence answer.: The following context identifies the threshold.
    • The question is complex but definitely settled already.: The need for discussion contradicts that.

  2. What happened as a stated result?

    The team asked for more time.: The result is explicitly stated.

    Compare all choices
    • The team cancelled the book.: No cancellation is mentioned.
    • The decision became easy immediately.: That is not stated.
    • The team asked for more time.: The result is explicitly stated.

  3. What distinction matters?

    Too expresses excess relative to a limit; very intensifies without that requirement.: The writer identifies the lost threshold meaning.

    Compare all choices
    • Too expresses excess relative to a limit; very intensifies without that requirement.: The writer identifies the lost threshold meaning.
    • Very always means small.: Very does not reverse the adjective.
    • Both phrases necessarily mean exactly the same.: That ignores the stated contrast.

Mastery quiz

Choose the best answer for each situation. The score is out of eight.

1. Choose the marked so pattern.
2. Which is the natural such paraphrase?
3. Which preserves It is too complex a question to answer briefly?
4. What does too add that very need not?
5. Which article fits too important ___ issue?
6. How should a plural version be formed?
7. Which audience choice is defensible?
8. A rewrite must preserve the reason a task cannot be completed today. Which works?
Answer key with explanations

  1. Choose the marked so pattern.

    so difficult a decision: The adjective precedes a.

    Compare all choices
    • so difficult a decision: The adjective precedes a.
    • a so difficult decision: This is not the standard target construction.
    • so a difficult decision: This does not follow the target order.

  2. Which is the natural such paraphrase?

    such a difficult decision: Such precedes the complete article-adjective-noun phrase.

    Compare all choices
    • such difficult a decision: This incorrectly imports the marked so order.
    • such a difficult decision: Such precedes the complete article-adjective-noun phrase.
    • a such difficult decision: The determiner order is wrong.

  3. Which preserves It is too complex a question to answer briefly?

    The question is too complex to answer briefly.: The limit is retained.

    Compare all choices
    • The question is simple enough for any answer.: This reverses the assessment.
    • The question is very complex and was answered briefly.: This changes both threshold and event status.
    • The question is too complex to answer briefly.: The limit is retained.

  4. What does too add that very need not?

    Excess relative to a relevant limit.: Too links degree to an exceeded threshold.

    Compare all choices
    • Excess relative to a relevant limit.: Too links degree to an exceeded threshold.
    • A guaranteed exact measurement.: No exact quantity is encoded.
    • A past-time meaning.: Degree words do not supply past tense.

  5. Which article fits too important ___ issue?

    an: It stands immediately before issue’s vowel sound.

    Compare all choices
    • the only possible choice is no article: A singular count noun in this pattern takes the article.
    • an: It stands immediately before issue’s vowel sound.
    • a: That does not match the next sound.

  6. How should a plural version be formed?

    such difficult decisions: The plural noun does not take singular a.

    Compare all choices
    • so difficult a decisions: A conflicts with the plural.
    • so a difficult decisions: Both order and number are wrong.
    • such difficult decisions: The plural noun does not take singular a.

  7. Which audience choice is defensible?

    Use the marked phrase where formal emphasis helps; use a clearer clause when it does not.: Register and processing needs guide the choice.

    Compare all choices
    • Use the marked phrase where formal emphasis helps; use a clearer clause when it does not.: Register and processing needs guide the choice.
    • Ban the phrase from all speech.: Formal patterns can occur in speech too.
    • Use the marked phrase everywhere to sound advanced.: Complexity is not always useful.

  8. A rewrite must preserve the reason a task cannot be completed today. Which works?

    The task is too demanding to complete today.: The relevant excess and time limit remain.

    Compare all choices
    • The task is demanding.: The specific limit is lost.
    • The task is too demanding to complete today.: The relevant excess and time limit remain.
    • The task was completed today.: This changes the outcome.

Use it in your own words

Marked and neutral

Describe a difficult choice first with so adjective a, then with such.

Reveal a possible response

It was so difficult a choice that we asked for advice. It was such a difficult choice that we asked for advice.

  • Keep the result
  • Change the noun-phrase order correctly

Other singular countable nouns are welcome.

Retain the threshold

Explain why an alteration exceeds a practical limit, then make the wording conversational.

Reveal a possible response

It would be too extensive a revision to finish today. More simply, the revision would be too extensive to finish today.

  • Preserve too and the limit
  • Do not turn excess into praise

Use a fictional low-stakes writing task.

Put it all together

A fictional newsletter must be printed tonight. Replacing all photographs would take two days. Explain the problem formally, then give a plain spoken alternative and a smaller plan.

Reveal a possible response

Replacing every photograph would be too extensive a change to finish tonight. In plain terms, we don’t have enough time. Rather than replace them all, we could correct the two captions that are wrong.

  • Use the marked pattern accurately
  • Preserve the deadline conflict
  • Retrieve a meaningful alternative structure

Do not claim a real publication deadline or add unsupported completion.

Take it with you

Selected degree expressions place the adjective before a or an in a singular noun phrase. These marked patterns are register-sensitive. A neutral alternative may be clearer.