 Difference between so, very, and a lot. Use a lot of before nouns. A lot of plus noun means a large quantity or a high number. A lot of can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns. For example, there were a lot of students in the classroom. I drank a lot of water during the marathon. Don't use very with nouns. Use a lot after verbs. A verb followed by a lot means very much or frequently. For example, I like this singer a lot means I like this singer very much. She travels a lot for work means she travels frequently for work. Remember, a lot is always two words, never one word. Use so and very with adjectives. So is used with that to add extra information, usually a result or consequence. For example, last night I was very tired. Last night I was so tired that I almost fell asleep while driving. This book is very interesting. This book is so interesting that I stayed up until 3 a.m. reading it. She plays the piano very well. She plays the piano so well that people often ask if she's a professional. In informal spoken English it's common to use really to substitute very. For example, last night I was really tired. Last night I was very tired. You can't substitute really for so. Also, in informal spoken English it's common to use so without that in exclamations. For example, your dog is so cute. It's so windy today. That test was so hard. Thanks for watching English Tips from Espresso English. If you liked this video, please share it.