Parts of Speech & Usage

Too vs. Enough

1 min read

Too and enough both talk about quantity, but they work in opposite ways — and they appear in different places in a sentence.

When to use “too”

Too means “more than needed” or “more than is good.” It has a negative idea.

This coffee is too hot to drink. (hot = bad)
She’s too tired to go out tonight.

Use “too” before an adjective or adverb:

It’s too late now.
He runs too quickly for me to keep up.

When to use “enough”

Enough means “as much as needed.” It can be positive or negative.

We have enough chairs for everyone.
She didn’t study enough to pass the exam.

Use “enough” after adjectives/adverbs, but before nouns:

She is tall enough to play basketball. (adjective)
He didn’t speak clearly enough. (adverb)
Do we have enough time? (noun)

💡 Tip

Too = “Too much!” Think: 🚫 Not good, it's more than needed.
Enough = “Exactly right” — as much as needed, not more, not less.
Position matters: “too” goes before adjectives, “enough” goes after adjectives and before nouns.
Mnemonic: "Too hot to handle" and "Enough is enough."

Test your knowledge 📝

Question 1 sur 8Score: 0/8

This bag is ___ heavy for me to carry.

Discover the app: Shaky English

Join 100,000 people who are improving their English skills on the Shaky English app

Other similar rules

Common confusions

Say vs. Tell

Say and tell both relate to speaking, but they are used differently. The main difference is simple: tell usually needs a person (an object), while say does not. Use “say” → focus on the words Say is...

Agreement rules

Word Order with Adverbs of Frequency (always, never, usually)

Adverbs of frequency (like always, never, often, usually, sometimes, rarely) tell us how often something happens. In English, they usually go before the main verb, but there are some important rules d...

Agreement rules

Passive Voice

The passive voice is used when the focus is on the action, not the person or thing doing it. It’s formed with the verb to be + past participle of the main verb. Active: The chef cooked the meal. Pass...

Conjugation

Prepositions after Adjectives (good at, interested in)

In English, some adjectives are followed by specific prepositions. These combinations are called adjective + preposition collocations. You can’t always guess them from logic — they just “sound right”...

Common confusions

I.e. vs. E.g.

Have you seen i.e. and e.g. in writing and wondered what they actually mean? These little abbreviations can make your writing clearer and more precise — if you use the right one! What do i.e. and e.g...

A bit of theory

Affect vs. Effect

Let’s make the difference between affect and effect easy to understand! Affect Affect is usually a verb. It means to influence or to make a change. Too much screen time can affect your sleep....

A bit of theory

Farther vs. Further

Do we go farther or further? 🛣️ These two words are close in meaning, but there’s a small difference that can help you sound more precise! Farther Farther is used for physical distance — things you...

Common confusions

Each and Every

“Each” and “Every” seem super similar, but they aren't exactly the same! Knowing when to use one or the other will make your English sound more natural and precise. Each Each focuses on things one b...

Parts of Speech & Usage

Too vs. Enough

1 min read

Too and enough both talk about quantity, but they work in opposite ways — and they appear in different places in a sentence.

When to use “too”

Too means “more than needed” or “more than is good.” It has a negative idea.

This coffee is too hot to drink. (hot = bad)
She’s too tired to go out tonight.

Use “too” before an adjective or adverb:

It’s too late now.
He runs too quickly for me to keep up.

When to use “enough”

Enough means “as much as needed.” It can be positive or negative.

We have enough chairs for everyone.
She didn’t study enough to pass the exam.

Use “enough” after adjectives/adverbs, but before nouns:

She is tall enough to play basketball. (adjective)
He didn’t speak clearly enough. (adverb)
Do we have enough time? (noun)

💡 Tip

Too = “Too much!” Think: 🚫 Not good, it's more than needed.
Enough = “Exactly right” — as much as needed, not more, not less.
Position matters: “too” goes before adjectives, “enough” goes after adjectives and before nouns.
Mnemonic: "Too hot to handle" and "Enough is enough."

Test your knowledge 📝

Question 1 sur 8Score: 0/8

This bag is ___ heavy for me to carry.

Discover the app: Shaky English

Join 100,000 people who are improving their English skills on the Shaky English app

Other similar rules

Common confusions

Say vs. Tell

Agreement rules

Word Order with Adverbs of Frequency (always, never, usually)

Agreement rules

Passive Voice

Conjugation

Prepositions after Adjectives (good at, interested in)

Common confusions

I.e. vs. E.g.

A bit of theory

Affect vs. Effect

Let’s make the difference between affect and effect easy to understand! Affect Affect is usually a verb. It means to influence or to make a change. Too much screen time can affect your sleep....

A bit of theory

Farther vs. Further

Common confusions