so...that 之间可用名词吗?

有一读者问: 语法书和英汉词典上都说: so...that 中间应放形容词或副词, such...that 中间应放名词,但如何解释下面的句子呢?

(1)We shot down so many enemy aircraft that they dared not come again.

(2)He kept working in order to make a living. But he got so little pay that his family had to live on welfare money.

你所引的那些书上的说法如果一字不差,那我们必须指出, 那样说是不够严谨的。比较准确的提法应该是: 在 so...that...结构中, so 是副词, 常用作状语修饰形容词或副词; 在such...that 结构中, such 相当于形容词,常用以修饰名词。但这绝不意味着 so...that 结构中只可以放置形容词或副词,不可以放置其他词类;同样,也不意味着 such...that 结构中只可以放置名词,不可以放置其他词类。如果明确了这一点,你所提的问题就迎刃而解了。你对例(1)的so...that 结构中不但放置 many (在此相当于形容词)而且还放置 enemy aircraft, 例(2)的so...that 结构中不但放置little (在此亦相当于形容词)而且还放置名词 pay,就不以为怪了。such...that 结构中除可放置名词外,亦可放置其他词类,如:

(3)It's such a good chance that we mustn't miss it. (such...that结构中除名词 chance 外,还有 a good)

(4)He told us such a funny story that we all laughed. (such...that 结构 中除名词 story 外还有 a funny)