Grammar
Enough: quantity, degree, and position
You are packing for a weekend trip. You have enough clothes, but your suitcase is not large enough. The word enough can talk about an amount and about how much of a quality something has.
Use enough accurately to talk about a sufficient amount, a sufficient degree, and an ability or possibility.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
Is the room warm enough for everyone? /ɪz ðə ruːm wɔːm ɪˈnʌf fə ˈevriwʌn/
The short answer
Put enough before a noun, as in enough time or enough chairs. Put it after an adjective or adverb, as in warm enough or quickly enough. Use enough to plus a base verb when you say what someone or something can do.
We have enough chairs for everyone.
Why it works: Enough comes before the plural noun chairs because it describes the number of chairs.
5 more examples
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The soup is cool enough to eat now.
Enough follows the adjective cool because it describes the degree of coolness.
Not this:The soup has
enough salt. What changes: Enough comes before salt because salt is a noun. -
Please speak slowly enough for the new students.
Enough follows the adverb slowly because it describes how the speaker speaks.
Not this:Please give the new students
enough time. What changes: Enough comes before time because it describes the amount of time. -
Rina saved enough money to repair her bicycle.
Enough money gives the sufficient amount. To repair explains what that amount made possible.
Not this:Rina was
careful enough to keepthe receipt. What changes: Enough follows careful because careful is an adjective. The to phrase gives the result. -
There is enough of the report to discuss today.
Use enough of before a determiner such as the, this, or my, and before pronouns such as them or us.
Not this:There is
enough informationto discuss today. What changes: Without the, my, this, or another determiner, use enough directly before the noun. -
This bag is too heavy for the overhead shelf.
Too heavy means heavier than is acceptable for the shelf.
Not this:This bag is
light enoughfor the overhead shelf. What changes: Light enough means the bag meets the requirement. Enough follows the adjective light.
Read the full guide
First, look at the word near enough. If it is a noun, put enough before it. If it is an adjective or an adverb, put enough after it. Then ask whether the sentence gives a purpose. If it does, enough to plus a base verb may explain the result.
Decide what is sufficient
Enough means sufficient for a need, plan, or purpose. It does not say that something is perfect or plentiful. If two people need one pen each and there are two pens, there are enough pens.
We have enough pens for the workshop.
The number of pens meets the need of the workshop.
Put enough before a noun
Put enough before a countable or uncountable noun. Use it with plural countable nouns such as seats and messages, and with uncountable nouns such as water, time, and patience.
Do we have enough water for the walk?
Water is uncountable, but enough still comes before it.
Choose the word order: enough batteries or batteries enough?
Use enough batteries. Enough comes before the noun batteries.
Put enough after an adjective
When enough describes a quality, place it after the adjective. The adjective can describe size, temperature, age, strength, or another quality. This position is different from enough before a noun.
The screen is bright enough to read outside.
Bright is an adjective, so enough follows it. The sentence says that the brightness meets the need.
Choose the complete phrase: enough strong or strong enough?
Use strong enough because strong is an adjective.
Put enough after an adverb
Enough also follows an adverb. It tells you that an action happens with sufficient speed, care, volume, or frequency. Keep the adverb and enough together.
The guide spoke clearly enough for the group to follow.
Clearly is an adverb that describes spoke, so enough follows clearly.
Use enough to explain a result
Use enough to plus a base verb when you explain what a sufficient amount or degree allows someone or something to do. The to phrase gives the purpose or result.
Leo is tall enough to reach the top shelf.
Tall enough gives the required degree of height. To reach the top shelf gives the result.
We left early enough to catch the first train.
Early enough describes the timing. To catch the first train explains why that timing was sufficient.
Use enough of before a determiner or pronoun
Use enough of when the noun phrase begins with a determiner such as the, this, my, or those. Use the same pattern before a pronoun. Say enough of the soup, enough of my notes, or enough of them.
We have enough of those boxes for the move.
Those comes before boxes, so use enough of those boxes rather than enough those boxes.
Compare enough with too
Enough means that a requirement is met. Too means more than is wanted, needed, or acceptable. The forms can appear in similar places, but their meanings differ.
The coffee is hot enough to drink.
Hot enough means the temperature is suitable. Too hot means the temperature is above a comfortable or safe level.
Which phrase describes a suitcase that exceeds the airline limit: light enough or too heavy?
Use too heavy because the weight is greater than the acceptable limit.
Before you go
Remember this
Use enough before nouns and after adjectives or adverbs. Add to plus a base verb when you explain what the sufficient amount or degree allows. Use enough of before a determiner or pronoun. Choose too when something goes beyond an acceptable amount or degree.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Enough: quantity, degree, and position"
What does enough mean in English?
Enough means as much, as many, or as great a degree as is needed for a purpose. In We have enough chairs for everyone, the number of chairs meets the need of the group.
We have enough chairs for everyone.
Does enough come before or after a noun?
Put enough before a noun. Say enough time, enough water, and enough chairs. This order works with uncountable nouns and plural countable nouns.
We have enough time to find more chairs.
Why does enough come after an adjective?
Put enough after an adjective when it describes a sufficient degree of a quality. The soup is cool enough to eat means that its temperature is suitable for eating.
The soup is cool enough to eat now.
How do I use enough with to?
Use enough to plus a base verb to explain a result or possibility. Rina saved enough money to repair her bicycle says that the amount of money made the repair possible.
The soup has enough salt.
When do I use enough of?
Use enough of before a determiner or pronoun: enough of the report, enough of my notes, or enough of them. Without a determiner, use enough directly before the noun.
Please speak slowly enough for the new students.