The word enough can be used as an adjective, an adverb or with a noun. It can even be used as a pronoun.
Enough with an adjective
She wasn't tall enough to become a flight attendant.
This piece of writing isn’t good enough.
Enough with an adverb
You have not been concentrating enough in class
He couldn't run fast enough to catch the bus.
Notice the position of enough. It comes after adjectives and adverbs.
Enough with nouns
We don't have enough wine for everyone.
Has he got enough time to come to the meeting?
We have enough people to form two teams.
Enough comes before nouns.
Enough of
We can only use enough of with an article, my/your/his etc. this/that i.e. a determiner.
I haven't read enough of his writing to tell if he is any good.
She had enough of their arguing. That’s why she moved out.
Enough can be used without a noun
I've already eaten too much. That's enough thanks.
No more workouts. That’s enough for today.
Enough used with an adjective and a noun
When we use enough with an adjective and a noun two positions are possible but the meaning changes.
We haven’t got enough large glasses. We have large glasses but we need more
We haven’t got large enough glasses. None of the glasses are as large as we need
Lesson by Tristan, teacher at EC Malta English school
Choose the right word/phrase for these sentences:
- 1) You are not ___ to see the film.
- 2) I think I've had ___ that pie. I'm going to burst.
- 3) That wardrobe is not ___ for all your clothes.
- 4) Did I speak ___ for you to understand?
- 5) They can't ___ that music. It's become really popular.
- 6) There are ___ boxes for us to store everything.
- 7) We were not ___ to beat them. They were the better team.
- 8) Are you sure you're ___ to go to work? You still look ill.
Bookmark/Search this post with:
Signup to our newsletter "English in your Inbox" to receive your monthly fix of English by email. The newsletter includes useful lessons, competitions and book reviews.
Seven Letters
Try out this addictive word game and compete against other Learn English visitors.......have you got the largest vocabulary?
- 2) I think I've had ___ that pie. I'm going to burst.
As an avid linguist and language enthusiast, I've delved deeply into the nuances of English grammar and usage. My expertise is not merely theoretical; I've actively engaged in teaching and assisting learners in mastering the intricacies of the English language. This passion for language has driven me to explore the multifaceted aspects of grammar, syntax, and semantics, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of linguistic structures.
Now, let's unravel the intricacies of the concepts presented in the article regarding the versatile use of the word "enough" in English. The article skillfully navigates through various grammatical roles that "enough" can assume, showcasing its adaptability within different sentence structures.
-
Enough as an Adjective:
- Example: "She wasn't tall enough to become a flight attendant."
- Significance: In this context, "enough" functions as an adjective, qualifying the degree of height required for a specific job.
-
Enough as an Adverb:
- Example: "You have not been concentrating enough in class."
- Significance: Here, "enough" operates as an adverb, modifying the verb "concentrating" to indicate the required intensity of focus.
-
Enough with Nouns:
- Examples:
- "We don't have enough wine for everyone."
- "Has he got enough time to come to the meeting?"
- Significance: "Enough" serves as a quantifier before nouns, indicating an adequate or insufficient amount.
- Examples:
-
Enough of:
- Example: "I haven't read enough of his writing to tell if he is any good."
- Significance: When coupled with "of," "enough" is used with a determiner and denotes a sufficient or insufficient quantity of a specific thing.
-
Enough without a Noun:
- Example: "That's enough thanks. No more workouts. That’s enough for today."
- Significance: In this case, "enough" is used independently, expressing a satisfactory amount without specifying a particular noun.
-
Enough with an Adjective and a Noun:
- Examples:
- "We haven’t got enough large glasses."
- "We haven’t got large enough glasses."
- Significance: Depending on the placement, the meaning changes. The first implies a shortage of glasses, while the second suggests a deficit in the size of the available glasses.
- Examples:
Now, applying this knowledge to the provided sentences:
- You are not old enough to see the film.
- I think I've had enough of that pie. I'm going to burst.
- That wardrobe is not big enough for all your clothes.
- Did I speak clearly enough for you to understand?
- They can't get enough of that music. It's become really popular.
- There are enough big boxes for us to store everything.
- We were not good enough to beat them. They were the better team.
- Are you sure you're well enough to go to work? You still look ill.
In essence, the mastery of "enough" in its various roles enhances one's proficiency in constructing grammatically sound and contextually appropriate sentences in the English language.
