When do we use ‘too’ and ‘enough’?
We use too to say that something is more than we want, or more than is safe: the aircraft descended too low. We use enough to say that something is the right amount or is sufficient: the crew did not have enough time to react. Both words talk about degree, but they sit in different places in the sentence.
The key is word order. Too goes before an adjective or adverb (too low, too fast). Enough goes after an adjective or adverb (long enough, quickly enough) but before a noun (enough fuel, enough room). Note also too much + an uncountable noun and too many + a countable noun.
Find and fix the mistake
Each sentence below comes from the kind of reporting you read about the Newark runway incident. Five contain one mistake with too or enough; one is already correct. Find and fix the errors.
- The Boeing 767 was flying enough low and struck a lorry on the motorway.
- There was not margin enough for the crew to recover the approach.
- The New Jersey Turnpike runs too much close to the threshold of Runway 29.
- Investigators said the aircraft came down too quick during the final approach.
- Newark has suffered too many disruption this year, including a radar failure.
- The runway itself was long enough, but the approach path was too dangerous.
- The Boeing 767 was flying too low and struck a lorry on the motorway. (too + adjective)
- There was not enough margin for the crew to recover the approach. (enough + noun)
- The New Jersey Turnpike runs too close to the threshold of Runway 29. (too + adjective, not “too much”)
- Investigators said the aircraft came down too quickly during the final approach. (too + adverb)
- Newark has suffered too much disruption this year, including a radar failure. (uncountable noun)
- Already correct: long enough and too dangerous are both right.
CEFR Level B1 / ICAO Level 4
Want more practice with words that measure degree? Try our activity on comparatives and superlatives, which weigh up amounts the same way too and enough do.
