Unit 19: A place to live
Goldilocks
Select a unit
- 1 Nice to meet you!
- 2 What to wear
- 3 Like this, like that
- 4 The daily grind
- 5 Christmas every day
- 6 Great achievers
- 7 The Titanic
- 8 Travel
- 9 The big wedding
- 10 Sunny's job hunt
- 11 The bucket list
- 12 Moving and migration
- 13 Welcome to BBC Broadcasting House
- 14 New Year, New Project
- 15 From Handel to Hendrix
- 16 What's the weather like?
- 17 The Digital Revolution
- 18 A detective story
- 19 A place to live
- 20 The Cult of Celebrity
- 21 Welcome to your new job
- 22 Beyond the planets
- 23 Great expectations!
- 24 Eco-tourism
- 25 Moving house
- 26 It must be love
- 27 Job hunting success... and failure
- 28 Speeding into the future
- 29 Lost arts
- 30 Tales of survival
Session 2
You might say that English is too confusing and there are too many rules. Have you really got enough time to learn them all? Well, it can be very difficult, that’s true. But don’t make excuses – this session will help you understand the words too, very and enough.
Activity 3
6 Minute Grammar
Too, very, enough
This session has been all about expressing degree in English. Too, very, and enough are three key words we use for this. In 6 Minute Grammar, Rob and Catherine will help you understand how they're used and what they mean.
In this episode. Rob and Catherine are clothes shopping. Catherine's going to a party and she needs something to wear. Here's a question for while you listen: Does Catherine buy a dress?
Listen to the audio
Catherine
Hello. Welcome to 6 Minute Grammar with me, Catherine.
Rob
And me, Rob. Hello.
Catherine
Today's programme is all about describing things.
Rob
That's right. We're going to explain how to use the words too and very with adjectives to describe things.
Catherine
We are, and we'll show you how to use the word enough with adjectives and nouns...
Rob
...we'll explain the difference between too much and too many…
Catherine
And we'll finish with a quiz – so listen carefully.
Rob
And to help us with all our example sentences today we're bringing you this episode of 6 Minute Grammar from a clothes shop.
Catherine
Yes, we're clothes shopping!
Rob
We are, well, Catherine's clothes shopping.
Catherine
I'm going to a party. Rob, look, this blue dress - I love it - do you?
Rob
It's not really my colour.
Catherine
You're not going to wear it Rob. Actually... it's too big. Oooh – this one's nice – what do you think Rob?
Rob
It's a bit short isn't it.
Catherine
Mmmm... It's too small.
Rob
Too big... too small. Catherine used the word too here with the adjectives big and small to say that that the dress is not right – it's bigger or smaller than she wants or needs.
Catherine
Right! Rob! Found one - red one, look. What do you think?
Rob
I do like the colour. It suits you.
Catherine
It is lovely but... it's very expensive!
Rob
Yes, [whistles] £150. I see what you mean... So, we use very with an adjective to make it stronger. The red dress is not just expensive – it's very expensive.
Catherine
Very, very expensive. But look! Green one, look at this green one, it's cheaper – and it looks big enough. What do you think, Rob?
Rob
It does suit you and it's cheaper. Let's take it before you change your mind... Do you have enough money?
Catherine
Do I have enough money?! Are you serious? Yes, of course...
Rob
Let's see your purse then. So, the word enough with an adjective describes the right amount of something. So, the green dress is big enough - and long enough. We've found it! We've got the dress! Hooray!
Catherine
Er Rob... Actually, I don't have enough cash on me... and I've left my credit card in the office... I don't suppose... would you mind...?
Rob
What are you saying...? Okay okay... How much is it? ...so we can also use enough before a noun to say that we have the right amount of something: so we can ask: Do you have enough money? ...and we can also use enough in the negative to say we have less of something than we need. Catherine doesn't have enough cash.
Catherine
Thank you Rob. You're very generous.
Rob
OK, time for a recap. We use too before an adjective:
Catherine
The blue dress is too small.
Rob
Very goes before an adjective...
Catherine
The red dress is very expensive.
Rob
Enough goes after an adjective...
Catherine
This dress is big enough.
Rob
And enough goes before a noun...
Catherine
I don't have enough money.
Rob
Let's go. I've done enough shopping for today.
Catherine
OK, come on.
IDENT
6 Minute Grammar, from BBC Learning English.
Rob
Phew... We're back in the studio. It's just like magic isn't it! And Catherine, you got the dress so, how was the party?
Catherine
Well, it was great except... I ate too much food... and...
Rob
...yes?
Catherine
...there were too many people wearing my dress!
Rob
Oh, that's a pity. So this is too with much and many to talk about an amount or number of something that's more or less than we want or need.
Catherine
Yes, I ate more food than I needed.
Rob
...and it's a pity there were too many green dresses. So, for plural countable nouns like dresses, we use too many - too many dresses, too many people.
Catherine
Yes, and for uncountable nouns like food and money, we use too much.
Rob
...and Catherine ate too much food...
Catherine
...and the red dress cost too much money.
Rob
It did, luckily. Now, be careful not to use very with strong adjectives. You cannot say the party was very fantastic...
Catherine
Instead, say: the party was absolutely fantastic!
Rob
But not for you! And now, it's time for a quiz! Fill the gaps. Number one. I can't hear you - there's too [beep] noise.
Catherine
And the answer is: I can't hear you – there's too much noise.
Rob
Good. Number two. Hiro is only 13. He's not old [beep] to drive yet.
Catherine
Hiro is only 13. He's not old enough to drive yet.
Rob
And Number three. Those shoes don't fit me. They are [beep] small.
Catherine
Those shoes don't fit me. They are too small.
Rob
So, no more parties, then?
Catherine
...Well actually Rob, there's one coming up this weekend and... I saw a lovely pair of blue shoes, they're not too expensive...
Rob
You've got time to go and get your credit card for this one - I'm not paying! There's more about this on our website at bbclearningenglish.com. Join us again for more 6 Minute Grammar soon.
Both
Bye.
So, Catherine managed to get a dress in the end! But she had to try on some dresses that were too big. She found one that was big enough - but it was too expensive. And she didn't have enough money for another one. Luckily though, Rob was there to lend her some cash!
Download
You can download 6 Minute Grammar on our Unit 19 downloads page (size: 5.6MB) and don't forget to subscribe to the podcast version.
End of Session 2
This session is over! We hope it wasn't too long for you and that it was easy enough to understand. Join us in Session 3 where you can read an article about housing problems in London and see too, very and enough in action. And Alice will be back with a useful pronunciation tip for you!
Session Grammar
Use too and very with adjectives to talk about degree.
Too describes something negative or unwanted. Very makes the adjective stronger. The words not too with an adjective shows that there isn't a problem.
Malik: Those red shoes were very nice. Did you buy them?
Sarah: No - they were too small. I bought the green ones instead: they were the right size and not too expensive.We don't use very with strong adjectives.
WRONG: The pianist was very excellent.
CORRECT: That movie was incredible.Use absolutely to make strong adjectives even stronger:
That cake was absolutely delicious!
We use (not) enough with adjectives and nouns to talk about the right amount of something. (Not) enough comes after an adjective or before a noun:
Jenny: Did you buy that dress?
Sally: No, I didn't. It wasn’t big enough.Have you got enough money?
We have enough food.
There aren't enough chairs.We use too with much and many to talk about an amount or number of something that is more than we want or need. Too many goes with countable nouns. Too much goes with uncountable nouns.
There are too many people on the bus.
There is too much salt in this soup.