Enough, too, such, and what are four determiners with distinct and important uses. Enough signals sufficiency — there is as much as is needed. Too signals excess — there is more than is desirable or manageable. Such and what are used as exclamatory determiners — they intensify a noun phrase to express surprise, admiration, or strong feeling. All four appear frequently in natural English speech and writing, yet their position in the sentence and their interaction with nouns, adjectives, and articles cause persistent errors. Understanding these four determiners clearly will improve both your own production and your ability to explain them.
Before you start — think honestly about your own teaching and experience.
Look at the examples. Answer each question before reading the explanation — this is how your students will learn too.
Look at the position of enough in each sentence. When does it come before the noun? When does it come after the adjective? Is there a rule?
Enough has two positions depending on what it modifies. Before a noun: enough time, enough students, enough equipment — enough quantifies the noun, meaning a sufficient amount or number. After an adjective: big enough, old enough, fast enough — enough modifies the adjective, meaning sufficiently big/old/fast. This positional rule is consistent and important. Learners who say enough big (putting enough before the adjective) are reversing the correct order. A quick check: if there is a noun, enough goes before it. If there is an adjective, enough goes after it. Both uses express the idea of sufficiency — just applied to different grammatical elements.
Look at how too is used in each sentence. What does too add to the meaning? Is it positive or negative? And what is the difference between too much and too many?
Too expresses excess — more than is desirable, manageable, or acceptable. It is always negative in meaning: too small (not small enough, a problem), too much noise (more noise than is good), too quickly (faster than is helpful). This is different from very, which simply intensifies without implying a problem: very small (just an observation), very quickly (neutral). A sentence like This lesson is too good means there is a problem with the lesson being good — which is usually not the intended meaning. Learners who use too when they mean very are making a meaning error. Too much goes with uncountable nouns; too many goes with countable nouns — mirroring the much/many distinction from the first lesson in this series.
Look at such and what. Both are expressing strong feeling or emphasis about a noun. What is the difference in how they are used? When does an article appear after them, and when does it not?
Such and what are both used as exclamatory determiners — they intensify a noun phrase to express strong feeling (admiration, surprise, disappointment, enthusiasm). Such is used as a determiner in the middle of a statement: She is such a dedicated teacher. What is used to open an exclamation: What a result! Both follow similar rules about the article. Before a singular countable noun, the article a/an must appear: such a lesson, what a lesson. Before a plural or uncountable noun, no article appears: such hard work, what progress, such interesting students. The difference between such a and so: such is followed by a noun phrase (such a good lesson), so is followed by an adjective alone (so good). Mixing these — such good or so a good lesson — is a common error.'
| Form | Use / Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Determiner | Position / structure | Example |
| enough + noun | enough before the noun | There is enough time. We have enough books. |
| adjective + enough | enough after the adjective | The room is big enough. She is experienced enough. |
| too + adjective | too before the adjective | The font is too small. The lesson was too long. |
| too much + uncountable | too much before uncountable noun | There is too much noise. Too much pressure. |
| too many + countable | too many before countable plural noun | There are too many students. Too many errors. |
| such a/an + singular noun | such a/an + adjective + singular noun | She is such a good teacher. What a lesson! |
| such + plural/uncountable | such + adjective + plural or uncountable noun | Such hard work. Such interesting students. |
TOO VERSUS VERY: A CRITICAL DISTINCTION
This is one of the most important distinctions in this lesson. Very is a neutral intensifier — it simply makes the adjective stronger without implying a problem: The lesson was very long. Too signals that the degree is excessive and causes a problem or prevents something: The lesson was too long (it went over time, and this was a problem — perhaps learners lost concentration). A sentence like This food is too delicious implies that the deliciousness is somehow a problem — which is an odd thing to say. Learners who use too where they mean very are changing the meaning significantly, even if communication is not entirely lost. Practising this distinction directly is valuable.
ENOUGH AS A PRONOUN
Enough can also function as a pronoun — standing alone without a noun: Have you had enough? That is enough. In this use it refers back to something understood from context (food, time, work). This pronoun use is natural and frequent but is distinct from the determiner use covered in this lesson. Learners who know the determiner use will extend to the pronoun use naturally.
SO...THAT AND SUCH...THAT
Both so and such can introduce result clauses with that: The lesson was so long that the students lost concentration. It was such a long lesson that the students lost concentration. These parallel structures — so + adjective + that / such a + adjective + noun + that — are useful for formal and academic writing. At this level it is enough to note the pattern and let learners encounter it in reading.
WHICH DETERMINER DO I NEED? - Is there a noun and you mean sufficient amount? Enough before the noun. - Is there an adjective and you mean sufficiently? Adjective + enough. - Is there excess — more than is desirable or possible? Too + adjective / too much + uncountable / too many + countable. - Is too intended as a compliment or neutral intensifier? Switch to very. - Is there strong positive/negative feeling about a noun? Such (in a statement) or What (in an exclamation). - After such or what, is the noun singular countable? Add a/an. Plural or uncountable? No article.
Choose the correct determiner or structure to complete each sentence.
Each sentence has one error with enough, too, such, or what. Write the correct sentence and explain the mistake.
Use this sequence directly in class — guided discovery, no textbook needed. Tap each step to mark it done.
STEP 1 — ENOUGH: BEFORE THE NOUN OR AFTER THE ADJECTIVE (7 minutes): Write two sentences: There is enough time and The room is big enough. Ask learners: where is enough in each sentence? Establish the pattern: before noun / after adjective. Give five more examples and ask learners to identify the position. Then ask them to produce two sentences of their own — one with enough before a noun, one with enough after an adjective.
STEP 2 — TOO VERSUS VERY (7 minutes): Write three sentences: This lesson is too good / This classroom is too small / This font is very clear. Ask: which sentences describe a problem? Establish that too signals excess and a problem, very is neutral. Ask learners to rewrite: This classroom is too small for forty students — what is the problem? Then ask: can you say This teacher is too good? When might that be correct and when would very be better?
STEP 3 — TOO MUCH / TOO MANY (5 minutes): Quick drill — say ten noun phrases. Learners say too much (uncountable) or too many (countable). Noise, students, homework, errors, time, teachers, pressure, equipment, questions, marking.
STEP 4 — SUCH AND WHAT (8 minutes): Write four exclamatory sentences on the board using such and what — two with singular countable nouns (with article) and two with uncountable or plural nouns (no article). Ask learners to identify the article rule. Then give them four noun phrases and ask them to produce exclamatory sentences using such or what correctly.
STEP 5 — WRITE ABOUT TEACHING (8 minutes): Ask learners to write six sentences using all four determiners — at least one using enough (noun), one using enough (adjective), one using too, one using such, one using what. Share with a partner for checking. Address position errors with enough and article errors with such/what as the priority.
Use directly in class — copy, adapt, or read aloud. No printing needed.
For each strategy, choose the option that best describes where you are now.
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