Too vs Enough - Degree Expressions

Too vs Enough - Easy

easy

Basic comparison: too + adjective vs adjective + enough

20 questions • 8 min

Too vs Enough - Intermediate

medium

Infinitive structures, too much/many, and not...enough

20 questions • 12 min

Too vs Enough - Advanced

hard

Complex structures, edge cases, and professional contexts

20 questions • 15 min

Transformations (B2/FCE)

hard

Rewrite sentences: too ↔ enough ↔ so...that

20 questions • 18 min

Too with Adjectives

Dictationeasy

Practise hearing and writing too with adjectives in complete sentences.

10 sentences • 7 min

Enough after Adjectives

Dictationeasy

Practise hearing and writing enough after adjectives in complete sentences.

10 sentences • 7 min

Too Much, Too Many and Enough

Dictationeasy

Practise hearing and writing too much, too many and enough in complete sentences.

10 sentences • 7 min

Actions after Too and Enough

Dictationmedium

Practise hearing and writing actions after too and enough in complete sentences.

10 sentences • 7 min

Too and Enough for Someone

Dictationmedium

Practise hearing and writing too and enough for someone in complete sentences.

10 sentences • 7 min

What is the difference between 'too' and 'enough'?

Too means "more than is necessary, wanted, or acceptable" — it always implies a negative consequence. Enough means "sufficient" or "as much as needed." The key difference: too signals excess (a problem), while enough signals sufficiency (meeting a standard).

TOO = Excess (Negative)

More than wanted/acceptable

"The coffee is too hot to drink."

"He drives too fast."

"There are too many people."

ENOUGH = Sufficient

As much as needed

"She's old enough to drive."

"We have enough time."

"He isn't tall enough."

Common Mistake: Too ≠ Very

✗ Wrong: "The weather is too nice today." (unless you mean it's a problem!)
✓ Correct: "The weather is very nice today." (neutral emphasis)

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Where does 'enough' go in a sentence?

The position of 'enough' depends on the word type it modifies. This is one of the most common word-order mistakes for English learners.

Rule	Correct	Wrong
Adj + enough	tall enough	enough tall
Adv + enough	fast enough	enough fast
enough + noun	enough time	time enough
too + adj	too expensive	expensive too

Memory tip: 'Enough' is the polite word — it lets the adjective go first! But with nouns, 'enough' takes the lead.

How do I use 'too' and 'enough' with infinitives?

Both 'too' and 'enough' often combine with 'to + verb' (infinitive) to show whether an action is possible or prevented.

too + adjective + to + verb

The adjective PREVENTS the action

"She's too tired to work." = So tired that she can't work.

adjective + enough + to + verb

The adjective ALLOWS the action

"She's old enough to drive." = Sufficiently old, so she can drive.

too + adjective + for someone + to + verb

Specifies WHO is affected

"It's too heavy for me to lift." = I specifically can't lift it.

What is the difference between 'too much' and 'too many'?

The choice depends on whether the noun is countable or uncountable — the same rule as 'much' vs 'many'.

TOO MUCH + Uncountable

too much water

too much noise

too much traffic

too much homework

TOO MANY + Countable Plural

too many people

too many mistakes

too many cars

too many questions

How do I transform sentences between 'too' and 'enough'?

Use opposite adjectives to convert between the two structures. This skill is essential for B2/FCE Key Word Transformations.

too young to vote=not old enough to vote

too expensive for students=not cheap enough for students

too cold to swim=not warm enough to swim

too short to reach=not tall enough to reach

too weak to lift it=not strong enough to lift it

Pattern: "too + adjective" ↔ "not + opposite adjective + enough"

Too vs Enough - Same Meaning, Different Structure

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What are the most common mistakes with 'too' and 'enough'?

1. Putting 'enough' before adjectives

✗ She is enough old to vote.

✓ She is old enough to vote.

'Enough' goes AFTER adjectives but BEFORE nouns.

2. Using 'too' to mean 'very'

✗ The party was too good!

✓ The party was very good!

'Too' always implies a negative consequence.

3. Missing 'to' in infinitive structures

✗ He's too tired working.

✓ He's too tired to work.

After too/enough + adjective, use 'to + base verb'.

4. Confusing 'too much' and 'too many'

✗ There are too much people here.

✓ There are too many people here.

'Too many' for countable, 'too much' for uncountable.

Is 'not enough' the same as 'too little'?

Both express insufficiency, but they work differently. 'Not enough' is more common in everyday English. 'Too little/few' is more formal or emphatic.

Not enough (common)

"We don't have enough money."

"There aren't enough chairs."

Too little/few (formal)

"We have too little money."

"There are too few chairs."

Quick Reference: All Too & Enough Patterns

Pattern	Example	Level
too + adj	too hot	A2
adj + enough	old enough	A2
enough + noun	enough time	A2
too much/many + noun	too many people	A2
too + adj + to + verb	too tired to work	B1
adj + enough + to + verb	old enough to drive	B1
too + adj + for sb + to verb	too heavy for me to lift	B1
Transformations: too ↔ enough	too young = not old enough	B2

Sources & References

• Murphy, R. (2019). English Grammar in Use (5th ed.), Cambridge University Press — Units 101-102
• Swan, M. (2016). Practical English Usage (4th ed.), Oxford University Press — Entries 556-557
• Cambridge B2 First Handbook — Key Word Transformations (Part 4)
• British Council LearnEnglish — Too and Enough (B1 Grammar Reference)
• Parrott, M. (2010). Grammar for English Language Teachers (2nd ed.), Cambridge University Press
• Flo-Joe FCE Resources — Transformation patterns with too/enough

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