Grammar
Too, too much, and too many
Your suitcase is too heavy, it contains too much clothing, and you packed too many pairs of shoes. These forms all show excess, but the noun after them determines which form you need.
Choose too, too much, or too many to describe an excessive degree, amount, or number.
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
There are too many cars on this street. /ðeər ɑː tuː ˈmeni kɑːz ɒn ðɪs striːt/
The short answer
Use too with an adjective or adverb: too loud or too quickly. Use too much with an uncountable noun: too much traffic. Use too many with a plural countable noun: too many emails. Each form means that a limit has been exceeded.
There are too many cars on this street at noon.
Why it works: Cars is a plural countable noun, so too many is the correct choice.
6 more examples
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This coffee is too hot to drink.
Hot is an adjective, so too comes directly before it. The temperature exceeds a comfortable level for drinking.
Not this:This coffee has
too much sugar. What changes: Sugar is an uncountable noun, so use too much before it. -
The driver spoke too quickly for the visitors to follow.
Quickly is an adverb that describes spoke, so too comes directly before the adverb.
Not this:The driver gave the visitors
too much information. What changes: Information is uncountable, so too much describes its amount. -
We used too much water while washing the car.
Water is uncountable. Too much says that the amount used was greater than needed.
Not this:We washed
too many carsthis morning. What changes: Cars are separate countable items, so use too many with the plural noun. -
Mina has too many appointments on Friday.
Appointments can be counted, and the plural form shows that there is more than Mina can manage that day.
Not this:Mina has
too much workon Friday. What changes: Work is uncountable when it means tasks in general, so use too much. -
There is too much traffic near the station after work.
Traffic is uncountable. The phrase refers to an excessive amount of moving vehicles as a whole.
Not this:There are
too many busesnear the station after work. What changes: Buses are individual items that can be counted, so use too many. -
The music is too loud for the baby to sleep.
Loud is an adjective. Too loud gives the degree that prevents the baby from sleeping.
Not this:There is
too much noisefor the baby to sleep. What changes: Noise is uncountable, so use too much when you name the amount of noise.
Read the full guide
Look at the word after too. If it is an adjective or adverb, use too by itself. If it is an uncountable noun such as water, noise, or traffic, use too much. If it is a plural noun you can count, such as chairs, messages, or mistakes, use too many. Then consider the meaning: the sentence should show that the amount or degree causes a problem or goes beyond a limit.
Recognize the meaning of excess
Too tells the listener that a quantity or degree is beyond a limit. The limit can be comfort, time, money, safety, space, or another need in the situation. Before choosing a form, find the word that describes what is excessive.
The box is too heavy to lift safely.
The weight is greater than the person can handle safely, so too describes an excessive degree of heaviness.
Use too with adjectives and adverbs
Use too directly before an adjective or adverb. Adjectives describe nouns, such as too cold, too expensive, or too difficult. Adverbs describe actions, such as too slowly, too loudly, or too late. Do not add much or many after too when the next word is an adjective or adverb.
The instructions are too difficult for me to follow alone.
Difficult is an adjective, so too comes before it without much or many.
Choose the correct phrase: too slowly or too much slowly?
Use too slowly. Slowly is an adverb, so too goes directly before it.
Use too much with uncountable nouns
Use too much before an uncountable noun. Uncountable nouns name substances, ideas, or activities that English usually does not count as separate units. Common examples include water, sugar, traffic, noise, information, work, and furniture.
We added too much salt to the soup.
Salt is an uncountable noun here, so too much describes an excessive amount of it.
Complete the sentence: There is ___ traffic on the road at six.
Write too much traffic. Traffic is uncountable in this meaning.
Use too many with plural countable nouns
Use too many before a plural countable noun. You can count these nouns as separate items: one email, two emails; one chair, two chairs. The plural noun after too many tells the listener that the number is greater than the situation can handle.
There are too many people in the small waiting room.
People is a plural countable noun, so too many describes the excessive number.
Choose the correct phrase: too many luggage or too much luggage?
Use too much luggage. Luggage is uncountable, even when it refers to several bags.
Compare amount and number
Some situations can include both an amount and a number. Compare too much work with too many tasks. Work names the total activity, while tasks are separate countable jobs. The same difference appears in too much furniture and too many chairs. Ask whether the noun names a mass or separate items.
The class received too much homework and too many worksheets.
Homework is uncountable, but worksheets are separate countable items. The sentence needs two different forms.
Add to plus a verb to show a result
After too plus an adjective or adverb, you can add to plus a base verb to show a result. Too tired to study means the tiredness prevents studying. Too quickly to read means the speed prevents reading. This pattern makes the limit clear.
The sign was too small to read from the road.
Too small gives the excessive degree of size. To read from the road explains the result.
Complete the sentence: The film was too long ___ watch before dinner.
Write too long to watch before dinner. To plus watch gives the activity that the length prevents.
Before you go
Remember this
Use too before an adjective or adverb. Use too much before an uncountable noun, and too many before a plural countable noun. Each form points to an amount or degree beyond a useful limit. Check the next word before you choose the phrase.
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 "Too, too much, and too many"
What is the difference between too, too much, and too many?
Use too before an adjective or adverb, too much before an uncountable noun, and too many before a plural countable noun. All three forms show that a degree, amount, or number exceeds a limit in the situation.
This coffee is too hot to drink.
When do I use too much?
Use too much with an uncountable noun such as water, traffic, sugar, noise, work, or information. In We used too much water, the amount of water was greater than the task needed.
This coffee has too much sugar.
When do I use too many?
Use too many with a plural countable noun such as cars, tickets, questions, or appointments. In There are too many cars on this street, the number of individual cars is more than the street can handle.
The driver spoke too quickly for the visitors to follow.
Can I use too before an adjective?
Yes. Put too directly before an adjective or adverb: too hot, too expensive, too loud, or too quickly. The form says that the quality or manner goes beyond an acceptable degree.
The driver gave the visitors too much information.
Does too always have a negative meaning?
Too usually signals that something is excessive for a particular purpose or situation. The limit may be comfort, safety, time, space, money, or another practical need. It is different from a lot of, which can simply describe a large amount.
We used too much water while washing the car.