A clause of result is a dependent clause that expresses a consequence. In English, result clauses often appear in constructions with so … that and such … that, which connect the degree of a quality, action, or quantity with its consequence.
Consider:
The mountain road was so narrow that the rescue vehicle couldn’t get through.
The clause that the rescue vehicle couldn’t get through expresses the consequence of the road’s narrowness. The words so narrow identify the degree associated with that limitation.
How So … That Expresses a Result
The construction so … that connects the degree of a quality or action with its consequence.
Two common patterns are:
- So + adjective + that + clause
- So + adverb + that + clause
So + Adjective + That
The theatre was so crowded that several visitors had to wait outside.
The degree of crowding explains why some visitors could not enter immediately.
Another example:
The water in the outdoor pool was so cold that Daniel abandoned his morning swim.
Result clauses can also describe positive outcomes:
The instructions were so clear that the new employees completed the setup without assistance.
So + Adverb + That
When the degree concerns how an action happens, so can modify an adverb.
Rachel spoke so softly that the microphone barely picked up her voice.
The clause describes what happened because Rachel spoke at such a low volume.
Compare:
The cyclist turned so sharply that the rear wheel skidded across the wet road.
Here, the result follows from the manner in which the cyclist turned.
Does a Result Clause Always Describe Something That Happened?
Not necessarily.
A result construction can describe an actual event, an inability, a possible consequence, or a hypothetical situation. The verb form, modal, and context determine what the sentence claims.
Compare:
| Sentence | What it communicates |
|---|---|
| The doorway was so narrow that the movers turned the piano sideways. | The movers actually turned the piano sideways |
| The doorway was so narrow that the piano couldn’t pass through. | The piano could not pass through; no attempt is necessarily established |
| The doorway is so narrow that the piano might not fit. | The piano’s ability to fit is uncertain |
| If the doorway is so narrow that the piano cannot pass through, we’ll use another entrance. | A possible future situation and the intended response |
The final sentence does not establish that the doorway is too narrow. It explains what will happen if that condition is met.
Can That Be Omitted?
In informal English, that is sometimes omitted from result constructions.
The music was so loud that we couldn’t hear the announcements.
The music was so loud we couldn’t hear the announcements.
The omission is also possible with such:
It was such an engaging discussion that nobody noticed the time.
It was such an engaging discussion nobody noticed the time.
These shorter forms are natural in informal speech and writing. Keeping that makes the relationship more explicit, particularly in longer sentences.
Using Such … That With Nouns
Such … that expresses a result through a noun phrase rather than simply modifying an adjective or adverb.
Compare:
The apartment was so small that the dining table blocked the doorway.
It was such a small apartment that the dining table blocked the doorway.
Both describe the same situation.
In the first sentence, so modifies the adjective small. In the second, such introduces the noun phrase a small apartment.
Such + A/An + Adjective + Singular Countable Noun
A singular countable noun normally requires an appropriate determiner in this construction.
It was such a demanding climb that even the experienced hikers needed several breaks.
Compare:
Incorrect: It was such demanding climb that everyone needed a rest.
Correct: It was such a demanding climb that everyone needed a rest.
The article a is required because climb is a singular countable noun.
Such + Adjective + Plural Noun
Plural countable nouns do not require a or an.
The guide provided such detailed maps that none of the walkers lost their way.
The construction can also describe the effect of someone’s behaviour:
The developer made such extravagant promises that several residents began questioning whether the project was realistic.
The nature of the promises explains the residents’ reaction.
Such + Uncountable Noun
Such can introduce an uncountable noun without a or an.
There was such confusion at the station that several passengers boarded the wrong train.
Another example:
The family had such difficulty finding accommodation that they extended their stay with relatives.
Choosing Between So and Such
The choice depends largely on the grammatical structure that follows.
| Structure | Example |
|---|---|
| So + adjective | The staircase was so steep that visitors used the handrail. |
| So + adverb | Hannah explained the process so patiently that everyone understood it. |
| Such + singular noun phrase | It was such a steep staircase that visitors used the handrail. |
| Such + plural noun phrase | They received such clear instructions that nobody needed help. |
| Such + uncountable noun phrase | There was such heavy traffic that the delivery arrived late. |
Changing from so to such may require rearranging the sentence or adding an article. The words cannot simply be exchanged while leaving the surrounding structure unchanged.
Result Clauses With So Much, So Many, So Few, and So Little
Result clauses can also express consequences associated with large or small quantities.
The choice depends on whether the noun is countable or uncountable.
| Expression | Noun type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| So many | Plural countable | So many guests arrived that the hosts brought out extra chairs. |
| So much | Uncountable | There was so much smoke that the kitchen alarm went off. |
| So few | Plural countable | So few people registered that the workshop was postponed. |
| So little | Uncountable | There was so little daylight left that the hikers returned to camp. |
So many and so much describe large quantities. So few and so little emphasize small quantities.
For example:
The school received so many donated books that it needed additional shelves.
The recipe contained so little flour that the dough wouldn’t hold together.
In the first sentence, books is a plural countable noun. In the second, flour is uncountable.
Different Ways to Express a Consequence
Not every sentence describing a consequence contains a dependent result clause.
English can connect an event or situation with what follows through different grammatical structures.
Degree-Result Clauses
The fog was so thick that the ferry remained in the harbour.
The degree expression so thick introduces the consequence described by the dependent clause.
So Joining Two Independent Clauses
Thick fog covered the harbour, so the ferry remained at the dock.
Here, so joins two independent clauses. The second describes what followed from the fog, but it is not a dependent that-result clause.
When So That Expresses a Result
So that commonly introduces purpose, but it can also express a result, particularly in formal writing.
The storm damaged the railway signals, so that trains could not enter the station safely.
This describes a consequence of the damage, not an intended goal.
A more natural version in everyday English would be:
The storm damaged the railway signals, so trains could not enter the station safely.
Compare a purpose clause:
The railway staff installed additional warning lights so that approaching drivers could see the crossing more clearly.
The warning lights were installed with a particular intention.
The distinction between intended outcomes and consequences is covered more fully in the lesson on clauses of purpose.
Too … To and Enough … To
English also uses infinitive constructions to express relationships involving degree, possibility, and limitation.
Two common patterns are:
- Too + adjective/adverb + to-infinitive
- Adjective/adverb + enough + to-infinitive
These are related to result constructions, but they contain non-finite infinitive clauses rather than finite that-result clauses.
Too … To: Excessive Degree
Consider:
The suitcase was too heavy for Maya to lift.
Its weight exceeded what Maya could lift.
Compare:
The suitcase was so heavy that Maya couldn’t lift it.
In this context, both sentences express the same limitation.
Too often indicates a degree that exceeds what is suitable or possible for a particular person, action, or situation.
The message arrived too late to change the travel arrangements.
The timing prevented the intended change.
A limitation can also be specific to an individual:
The suitcase was too heavy for Maya to lift, but her brother carried it upstairs.
The two statements are compatible. The suitcase exceeded Maya’s lifting ability, not necessarily everyone else’s.
Enough … To: Sufficient Degree
Enough indicates that a degree or quantity meets a particular requirement.
The doorway was wide enough for the wheelchair to pass through.
Its width was sufficient for passage.
Enough can also appear before a noun:
They had enough fuel to reach the next service station.
The usual positions are:
- After an adjective or adverb: wide enough, quickly enough
- Before a noun: enough fuel, enough time
Sufficient Ability vs. an Actual Event
A statement about sufficient degree does not necessarily say that an action happened.
Compare:
The ladder was long enough to reach the roof.
This establishes sufficient length. It does not tell us whether anyone used the ladder.
The ladder was so long that it reached the roof when they raised it.
This describes an actual outcome in the stated situation.
The difference comes from what each complete sentence says, not simply from using enough instead of so … that.
Transforming Too and Enough Without Changing Meaning
Some transformations require a change in the adjective.
Compare:
The entrance was too narrow for the trolley to pass through.
The entrance wasn’t wide enough for the trolley to pass through.
Both describe insufficient width for the trolley.
Another pair:
The tea was too hot for Emma to drink comfortably.
The tea wasn’t cool enough for Emma to drink comfortably.
These sentences can describe the same practical limitation. However, changing the adjective and construction does not always preserve every shade of meaning.
The important point is to check whether the revised sentence communicates the same limitation rather than applying a fixed replacement formula.
Position and Punctuation of Result Clauses
In degree-result constructions, the that-clause normally follows the adjective, adverb, or noun phrase associated with the degree.
The queue was so long that people began leaving before the doors opened.
Unlike many time or reason clauses, the dependent clause in this construction cannot normally be moved to the beginning without changing the structure.
Incorrect: That people began leaving before the doors opened, the queue was so long.
Correct: The queue was so long that people began leaving before the doors opened.
A comma is normally unnecessary between the degree expression and its following result clause.
It was such an unexpected announcement that nobody spoke for several seconds.
By contrast, when the coordinating conjunction so connects two independent clauses, a comma is commonly used.
The final train had been cancelled, so the passengers arranged alternative transport.
Clauses of Result: Practice With Answers
1. Identify the Result Clause
The waves were so powerful that several fishing boats remained in the harbour.
Identify the dependent result clause and explain the degree associated with the consequence.
Answer:
That several fishing boats remained in the harbour is the result clause.
The expression so powerful identifies the degree of the waves’ force associated with the boats remaining in the harbour.
2. Choose So or Such
Complete each sentence using so or such, adding a or an where necessary.
A. The staircase was ______ narrow that two people couldn’t pass each other.
B. It was ______ unusual request that the receptionist checked with her manager.
C. They received ______ detailed feedback that they revised the entire proposal.
Answers:
A. so
The staircase was so narrow that two people couldn’t pass each other.
B. such an
It was such an unusual request that the receptionist checked with her manager.
C. such
They received such detailed feedback that they revised the entire proposal.
3. Choose the Correct Quantity Expression
Complete the sentences with so much, so many, so few, or so little.
A. There were ______ empty seats that the organisers moved the audience into a smaller hall.
B. The soup contained ______ salt that nobody wanted a second serving.
C. The village received ______ rainfall that the reservoir dropped to a dangerously low level.
D. ______ applications arrived that the organisers extended the application deadline.
Answers:
A. so many
B. so much
C. so little
D. so few
Each expression is used once. The choice depends on whether the noun is countable or uncountable and whether the quantity is large or small.
4. Rewrite Without Changing the Limitation
Rewrite using not … enough:
The corridor was too narrow for the furniture to pass through.
Possible answer:
The corridor wasn’t wide enough for the furniture to pass through.
Both describe insufficient width for the furniture.
5. Purpose or Result?
Identify whether so that expresses purpose or result.
A. The parents lowered the television volume so that the children could sleep.
B. The power failure disabled the traffic signals, so that vehicles began queuing at every junction.
Answers:
A: Purpose. The parents intended to avoid disturbing the children’s sleep.
B: Result. The queues followed from the failure of the traffic signals.
The result construction in B is relatively formal. In everyday writing, so vehicles began queuing would sound more natural.
6. Possibility or Actual Outcome?
Compare:
A. The bridge was wide enough for two cars to pass each other.
B. The bridge was so wide that two cars passed each other without slowing down.
Do both sentences establish that two cars actually passed each other?
Answer: No.
Sentence A describes sufficient width. It does not establish that two cars actually passed each other.
Sentence B describes an actual event: two cars passed each other without slowing down.
What can be concluded depends on the meaning of the complete sentence, not simply the construction used.
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