Using Infinitives With Too and Enough

Introduction

The words too and enough are used to talk about degree. They indicate whether a certain quality or quantity is excessive, sufficient, or insufficient for a particular purpose. This purpose is often expressed using a to-infinitive (e.g., to run, to see, to buy).

1. Using "Too" with Infinitives

Meaning: "Too" means more than necessary, more than desirable, or excessively. It has a negative connotation, suggesting a problem or a reason why something is not possible.

Structure: The infinitive always follows the adjective or adverb that "too" modifies.

A. Too + Adjective / Adverb

The main structure is:

$too + adjective/adverb + (for someone/something) + to-infinitive$

 * The (for someone/something) part is optional. It specifies who or what is affected.

Examples with Adjectives:

 * The coffee is too hot to drink. (It is so hot that I cannot drink it.)

 * He is too young to vote. (He is so young that he is not allowed to vote.)

 * The box was too heavy for me to lift. (It was so heavy that I couldn't lift it.)

 * This question is too difficult for the students to answer. (It is so difficult that the students cannot answer it.)

Examples with Adverbs:

 * She was driving too quickly to see the stop sign. (She was driving so quickly that she couldn't see it.)

 * He spoke too quietly for us to hear him. (He spoke so quietly that we couldn't hear him.)

2. Using "Enough" with Infinitives

Meaning: "Enough" means sufficient or the right amount. It has a positive or neutral connotation, suggesting that a condition is met, making an action possible.

Structure: The structure with "enough" is different depending on whether it's used with an adjective/adverb or a noun.

A. Adjective / Adverb + Enough

Crucial Rule: "Enough" comes AFTER the adjective or adverb it modifies.

The structure is:

$adjective/adverb + enough + (for someone/something) + to-infinitive$

Examples with Adjectives:

 * She is old enough to vote. (She has reached the required age, so she can vote.)

 * The water is warm enough to swim in. (The water is sufficiently warm, so we can swim.)

 * The instructions were clear enough for him to understand. (The instructions were sufficiently clear, so he could understand them.)

Examples with Adverbs:

 * You are not driving slowly enough to be safe. (You are driving too fast.)

 * He arrived early enough to get a good seat. (He arrived sufficiently early, so he got a good seat.)

B. Enough + Noun

Crucial Rule: "Enough" comes BEFORE the noun it modifies.

The structure is:

$enough + noun + (for someone/something) + to-infinitive$

Examples with Nouns:

 * I don't have enough money to buy that car. (I have an insufficient amount of money.)

 * Is there enough time to finish the project? (Is the amount of time sufficient?)

 * We have enough food for everyone to eat. (The quantity of food is sufficient for everyone.)

Summary of Key Differences

| Feature | Using "Too" | Using "Enough" |

|---|---|---|

| Meaning | Excessive, more than needed (Negative) | Sufficient, the right amount (Positive/Neutral) |

| Structure with Adj/Adv | too + ADJECTIVE/ADVERB | ADJECTIVE/ADVERB + enough |

| Example with Adj. | He is too short to reach the shelf. | He is tall enough to reach the shelf. |

| Structure with Noun | Not used directly before a noun with this meaning. (We say "too much/many" instead). | enough + NOUN |

| Example with Noun | (e.g., He has too much work to do.) | He has enough time to do the work. |

| Infinitive Purpose | Explains the negative consequence. | Explains the possible result or action. |

Combining Sentences: A Practical Example

You can often combine two simple sentences into one more complex sentence using these structures.

Example 1 (Too):

 * Sentence 1: The soup is very hot.

 * Sentence 2: We can't eat it.

 * Combined: The soup is too hot to eat.

Example 2 (Enough with Adjective):

 * Sentence 1: My brother is strong.

 * Sentence 2: He can carry that suitcase.

 * Combined: My brother is strong enough to carry that suitcase.

Example 3 (Enough with Noun):

 * Sentence 1: We have time.

 * Sentence 2: We can watch a movie.

 * Combined: We have enough time to watch a movie.