Thursday, January 7, 2010
Grammar – So or Too?
This post was inspired by a student who asked:“Which sentence is correct?”
Let’s examine so and too in more detail!
* Note that so is used BEFORE the adjective or adverb.
So + adjective / adverb (no noun)
She is so skinny.
Her new boyfriend is so handsome.
Don’t be so naïve!
He drives so fast.
Her new outfit is so lovely.
The cake she made for my birthday is so beautiful!
This movie is so long.
It was so good to talk to you today!
When did he get so fat?
That’s so cool!
*So CANNOT be used before an adjective + noun
X: She is so a beautiful woman. / She is a so beautiful woman
Instead, before a noun use such:
She is such a beautiful woman!
I love my new boyfriend. He’s such a great person!
You live in such a nice neighbourhood.
He is such a great singer!
We had such a great day today! The weather was so nice.
He tells such awful jokes.
I love listening to them sing. They have such beautiful voices!
*So much and so many can be used when you want a stronger way of saying a lot!
With an uncountable noun, use so much:
I have so much studying to do before the test tomorrow!
Have you ever seen so much food?
There is so much work to be done before the house is clean!
What a great day for skiing! There is so much snow!
So much to do, so little time!
With a plural noun, use so many:
I’ve never seen so many people in one place!
It was a great party last night. I met so many new people!
She’s really popular. She has so many friends!
There are so many cards to choose from.
I took so many pictures when I was on vacation!
So many books to read, so little time!
There are so many people to thank for this award!
The cake was so good (that) we couldn’t stop eating it!
She looks so different (that) I hardly recognize her!
We got to the station so late we missed the train!
I have so much studying to do (that) I won’t be able to go to the party tonight!
Like so, too is used BEFORE an adjective or adverb with NO noun.
We don’t see her very often. She lives too far away.
Turn the music down. It’s too loud!
She drives too fast.
Don’t work too hard!
Don’t stay out too late. You have to get up early tomorrow!
She tried memorizing the textbook the night before the exam, but it was too little, too late.
*However,in two circumstances, ‘too’ can be used in a positive statement:
You are too funny! = You are so funny! = You are very funny!
You are too kind! = You are so kind! = You are very kind!
*Sometimes another intensifier can be added in front of too:
These pants are way too big on me.
She is way too skinny!
She is far too young to be wearing that kind of outfit!
It’s much too late to do anything about global warming.(*not to be confused with too much!)
*Too CANNOT be used before an adjective + noun
X: She is too a fat woman.
X: She is a too fat woman.
*There is no similar word as such to use before adjective + noun
*Too much and too many have a similar meaning as too.
With an uncountable noun, use too much:
I feel sick. I drank too much (alcohol) last night!
I ate too much chocolate.
It takes up too much time.
If he has that much time to play video games, then he has way too much time on his hands!
She was a famous singer by the time she was 15! The fame was too much, too soon.
[*Sometimes students say to me, “Teacher, I love your class too much!” This is not a good thing to say! It’s better to say, “I like your class a lot” or “I really like your class!”]
With a plural noun, use too many:
Is it possible to have too many friends?
She’s fooled me one too many times.
How many TVs are too many?
There are way too many cars on the road.
My son is so spoiled. He has far too many toys!
I’m being pulled in too many directions!
I’m too tired to go out tonight
This soup is too hot to eat.
She is too young to drive a car!
This box is too heavy to carry.
I don’t want to go to bed yet! It’s too early (to go to bed).
We’re far too young to get married.
It’s too dangerous to walk around this neighbourhood at night.
There’s no use getting upset. It’s too late to do anything about it now.
It’s too good to be true!
I can’t go to her party tonight, I have too much work to do!
The house was too expensive to buy.
Her offer was too good to refuse.
This sweater is too big for me to wear.
We can’t go on this roller coaster. Alice is too short for this ride!
I’m too old for dolls! = I’m too old to play with dolls!
This box is too heavy for me to carry.
*Adverbs can also be used:
She drove too slowly to arrive on time.
We got home too late to see the beginning of the TV show.
*Too many and too much can also be used:
There were too many people at the picnic to count.
I had too much work to do yesterday.
Back to our first question:
Which sentence is correct? (answer below)
Quiz:
1. The soup was ______ hot that I couldn’t eat it.
2. The soup was ______ hot to drink.
3. It’s _______ cold to go outside.
4. There were far ________ people at the party for me to meet them all!
5. Susan Boyle’s CD was _____ good that I rushed out and bought it right away!
6. Did you buy that new car? No, I didn’t. It cost _______.
7. He’s _______ a nice guy!
8. We are _______ far away that I don’t think we’re going to be on time for the concert.
9. I can’t stand spending time with her – she is ______ rude!
10. He’s _______ intelligent for his class – he’s not learning anything.
answers:
You’ve got to tell him that he’s getting too old to drive a car.
1. so 2. too 3. too 4. too many 5. so 6. too much 7. such 8. so 9. so 10. too
Really very great lesson as usual. =)
You solved a doubt (doubts) I had about the use of these adjectives and adverbs. I used to use some of them uncorrectly in a sentence and I thought it was right.
Thanks for clearing my mind (lol) and the great job, Melanie.
=D
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