English Without Tears

Types of Action Verbs

There are two types of action verbs:

Transitive Verbs
Intransitive Verbs
Transitive Verbs
A transitive verb expresses an action directed towards a person, place or thing. The action expressed by a transitive verb passes from the doer or the subject to the receiver of the action. Words that receive the action of a transitive verb are called objects.

For example:

The teacher made the question paper.
Peter cut the cake.
In the above two sentences, we can see that the words in green colour ‘the question paper‘ and ‘the cake‘ complete the sense of the sentence or work as objects. The two sentences would not make complete sense without the objects.

The teacher made ……………….. what? (the question paper)
Peter cut ……………….. what? (the cake)
In the above sentences, the verbs ‘made‘ and ‘cut‘ are transitive verbs. A transitive verb needs a direct object to complete its meaning.

Example Sentences of Transitive Verb
Birds have feathers.
The teacher praised the pupil.
She is eating a pear.
I like English.
They are playing football.
The potter has made a beautiful pot.
Dennis bought a bicycle.
She is writing an essay.
Intransitive Verbs
A verb which does not need an object to make complete sense is called an intransitive verb. An intransitive verb expresses action (or tells something about the subject) without the action passing to a receiver or object. It can stand alone in the predicate because its meaning is complete.

Example Sentences of Intransitive Verb
Mr. Becker jogs every day.
The wicked hunter was hiding.
Anne looks very beautiful.
Mr. John speaks loudly.
The ship sank rapidly.
The department store opens at six o’clock.
Mr. Ben is driving carefully.
The wind blew strongly.
Interesting Grammar Facts about Verbs

To determine if a verb is transitive, ask yourself ‘Who?’ or ‘What?’ after the verb. If you can find an answer in the sentence, the verb is transitive.

Some verbs are always intransitive, such as: to snore or to fall. It is incorrect to say: She snores her nose.

For example: She snores a lot. In this example ‘a lot’ is not an object but an adverb. It doesn’t represent what the person snores but rather how or how much she snores.

Some verbs are always transitive, such as to recognise or to merit. It is somewhat incorrect to say: “Ah, yes, I recognise” or she certainly does merit.

Double Object
Some transitive verbs have two objects. Those things that you do for someone or you give to someone are called direct objects. The person who receives the thing is called the indirect object.

Examples of Double Object
The manager gave her the money.
Mother is reading Michael a story.
Nancy baked a cake for me.
Can you fetch me a cup and a plate?
In above examples:

Stores Learn Topic
Receives Index
Verbs: ‘gave, reading, baked and fetch’.
Indirect object: ‘her, Michael, me, me’.
Direct object: ‘money, story, cake, cup and a plate’.

VERBS
WHAT IS A VERB?

VERB MEANING / DEFINITION

A VERB IS A DOING WORD THAT SHOWS AN ACTION, AN EVENT OR A STATE. A SENTENCE MAY EITHER HAVE A MAIN VERB, A HELPING VERB OR BOTH. IN OTHER WORDS, A VERB IS A WORD THAT INFORMS ABOUT AN ACTION, AN EXISTENCE OF SOMETHING OR AN OCCURRENCE. THE VERB IS THE MAIN WORD IN A SENTENCE. NO SENTENCE CAN BE COMPLETED WITHOUT A VERB.

THE WORD ‘VERB’ DERIVED FROM THE LATIN WORD ‘VERBUM‘.

TYPES OF VERBS

MAIN VERBS (OR ACTION VERBS)
HELPING VERBS
LINKING VERBS
– TRANSITIVE VERBS
– INTRANSITIVE VERBS
MAIN VERBS OR ACTION VERBS

MAIN VERBS OR ACTION VERBS ARE USED TO EXPRESS ACTION; SOMETHING THAT AN ANIMAL, A PERSON OR A THING DOES. IN EACH OF THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES, WE ONLY HAVE A MAIN VERB.

THE SUN SHINES.
THE HORSE NEIGHS.
THE MONKEY JUMPS.
HELPING VERBS

AS THE NAME SUGGESTS, HELPING VERBS HELP OR SUPPORT THE MAIN VERB.

WE ARE LEARNING ABOUT HELPING VERBS. (ARE: HELPING VERB; LEARNING: MAIN VERB)
WE ARE IN THE GREEN HOUSE CLUB. (ARE: HELPING VERB)
YOU SHOULD COMPLETE THE WORK BY TOMORROW. (SHOULD: HELPING VERB; COMPLETE: MAIN VERB)
STATE OF BEING VERBS (LINKING VERBS)

STATE OF BEING VERBS STATE THAT SOMETHING ‘IS’. STATE OF BEING VERBS ALSO KNOWN AS LINKING VERBS. LINKING VERBS EXPLAIN A LINK BETWEEN THE SUBJECT OF THE SENTENCE AND A NOUN OR ADJECTIVE BEING LINKED TO IT.

LIST OF EXAMPLE SENTENCES
THE FLOWERS ARE BRIGHT.
DIAMOND IS THE HARDEST SUBSTANCE.
I FEEL SCARED.
UNDERSTANDING VERBS

THE WORDS: AM, IS, ARE, WAS, AND WERE, BELONG TO THE VERB “TO BE”. WE USE ‘AM’ OR ‘WAS’ WITH THE PRONOUN ‘I’. WE USE ‘IS’ OR ‘WAS’ WHEN THE SUBJECT OF THE SENTENCE IS SINGULAR. WE USE ‘ARE’ OR ‘WERE’ WHEN THE SUBJECT OF THE SENTENCE IS PLURAL.

LIST OF EXAMPLE SENTENCES
I WAS LATE FOR SCHOOL YESTERDAY.
I AM TWELVE YEARS OLD.
SHE IS A WONDERFUL SINGER.
THESE QUESTIONS ARE DIFFICULT.
HE WAS PLANNING TO MEET THE DOCTOR.
THE HOLLYWOOD ACTORS ARE FAMOUS.
THEY WERE WINNERS LAST YEAR.
IT IS A GREAT FEELING TO WIN THE TROPHY.
WE USE ‘IS‘ WITH SINGULAR NOUNS AND PRONOUNS ‘HE, SHE, IT‘.

LIST OF EXAMPLE SENTENCES
MY SCHOOL IS NEAR MY HOUSE.
THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSING DOWN.
SHE IS WRITING A POSTCARD.
DOG IS A FAITHFUL ANIMAL.
OTTAWA IS THE CAPITAL OF CANADA.
HE IS ACTING STRANGE TODAY.
WE USE ‘ARE‘ WITH PLURAL NOUNS AND PRONOUNS ‘WE, YOU, THEY‘.

LIST OF EXAMPLE SENTENCES
THE BALLOONS ARE COLOURFUL.
THEY ARE BEST FRIENDS.
THE KITES ARE FLYING HIGH IN THE SKY.
THEY ARE PLANNING TO GO BY TRAIN.
WE ARE GOING TO WIN THE MATCH.
YOU ARE WRITING SO UNTIDILY!
WE USE ‘ARE‘ WHEN WE JOIN TWO OR MORE NOUNS.

LIST OF EXAMPLE SENTENCES
JOHN AND SAM ARE BROTHERS.
JOSEPH AND WE ARE NEIGHBOURS.
ANNE AND SUE ARE ENJOYING THE PLAY.
SHARON AND JENNY ARE COMPETING FOR THE GOLD MEDAL.
MRS. AND MR. LEE ARE PLANNING TO VISIT NEW ZEALAND.
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO TAKE CARE OF THE SUBJECT AND VERB AGREEMENT WHILE FRAMING A SENTENCE. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT A VERB MUST BE COMPATIBLE AND AGREE WITH ITS SUBJECT TO MAKE A CORRECT AND VALID SENTENCE.

LET US UNDERSTAND WITH THE HELP OF AN EXAMPLE.

IF WE WRITE:

PHIL IS PLAYING WITH A BALL. (CORRECT)!
PHIL ARE PLAYING WITH A BALL. (INCORRECT) X
IN THE FIRST SENTENCE, THE SUBJECT (PHIL) IS SINGULAR, SO WE NEED A SINGULAR VERB (IS PLAYING). THE SENTENCE IS CORRECT. IN THE SECOND SENTENCE, THE SUBJECT (PHIL) IS SINGULAR, BUT THE VERB IS PLURAL (ARE PLAYING). THE SENTENCE IS INCORRECT.

RULES OF SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

RULE 1 – SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT WITH A SINGULAR NOUN
IF THE SUBJECT IS A SINGULAR NOUN OR A PRONOUN (HE, I, SHE, IT), WE MUST ENSURE THAT WE USE A SINGULAR VERB TO WRITE A CORRECT SENTENCE.

LIST OF EXAMPLE SENTENCES
SHE IS PLAYING THE GUITAR.
THE POSTMAN IS ASKING FOR YOUR SIGNATURE.
THE MOVIE HAS CAUGHT EVERYONE’S ATTENTION.
DOES HE KNOW THE MINISTER WELL?
SHE IS CHEERING THE TEAM.
HE ENJOYS MUSIC.
MY MOM DRIVES CAREFULLY.
THE MOON REVOLVES ROUND THE EARTH.
IS IT RAINING?
RULE 2 – SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT WITH PLURAL NOUN
IF THE SUBJECT IS PLURAL (WE, THEY, THOSE, YOU), WE NEED A PLURAL VERB TO WRITE A CORRECT SENTENCE.

LIST OF EXAMPLE SENTENCES
THE BOYS WERE DANCING IN THE CORRIDOR.
THE CHILDREN ARE PLAYING IN THE GARDEN.
THE STUDENTS WERE WRITING THEIR EXAM.
TWO OF OUR GIRLS HAVE WON THE QUIZ.
WE HAVE FINISHED OUR HOMEWORK.
BOTH THE BOYS HAVE WORKED HARD.
PHILIP AND LUKE ARE SWIMMING.
THE TEACHERS ARE CORRECTING THE ANSWER SHEETS.
FARMERS WORK IN THE FIELDS.
RULE 3 – SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT WITH COLLECTIVE NOUNS
THE COLLECTIVE NOUNS ARE CONSIDERED AS SINGULAR. WE USE SINGULAR VERBS WITH THEM.

LIST OF EXAMPLE SENTENCES
THE CROWD WAS VERY NOISY.
OUR TEAM HAS TO WIN THE MATCH.
THE AUDIENCE IS HAVING A GALA TIME.
THE BAND IS PLAYING THE SCHOOL SONG.
THE CHOIR IS SINGING BEAUTIFULLY.
MY FAMILY IS FROM POLAND.
OUR CRICKET TEAM IS THE BEST IN THE WHOLE TOWN.
A BOUQUET OF FLOWERS WAS PRESENTED TO THE CHIEF GUEST.
RULE 4 – SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT WITH ‘EITHER/OR’ OR ‘NEITHER/NOR’
THE VERB MUST AGREE WITH THE NOUN OR THE PRONOUN THAT IS CLOSER TO ‘EITHER/OR’ OR ‘NEITHER/NOR’.

LIST OF EXAMPLE SENTENCES
NEITHER HE NOR I AM GUILTY.
NEITHER BOB NOR HIS FRIENDS WANT THE PARTY.
EITHER YOU OR YOUR SISTER IS TELLING A LIE.
EITHER NANCY OR MARY IS TYPING THE LETTER.
NEITHER JULIA NOR HER PARENTS KNOW THE WAY TO THE PASSPORT OFFICE.
RULE 5 – SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT WITH INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS LIKE ‘NOBODY’, ‘EVERYBODY’, ‘SOMEONE’, ‘SOMEBODY’, ‘ONE’ ARE ALWAYS SINGULAR.

LIST OF EXAMPLE SENTENCES
EVERYBODY IS LIKING THE NEW CAR.
SOMEONE IS CALLING FOR YOU.
NOBODY IS ALLOWED TO ENTER THAT ROOM.
EVERYBODY LIKES MRS. OLA, THE NEW HISTORY TEACHER.
ONE OF THE PASSENGERS WAS ASKING FOR TOMATO SOUP.
SOMEBODY IS KNOCKING AT THE DOOR.
RULE 6
WE USE SINGULAR VERBS FOR UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS.

LIST OF EXAMPLE SENTENCES
THERE IS SUFFICIENT FOOD IN THE REFRIGERATOR.
COLD WEATHER IS A PROBLEM IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY.
SUGAR IS YET TO GET OVER IN THE CONTAINER.
SALT IS OBTAINED FROM SEA WATER.
MILK WITH CORNFLAKES IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE BREAKFAST OPTIONS.
RULE 7
A PLURAL NOUN TAKES A SINGULAR VERB WHEN IT IS A NAME SUCH AS PARIS, CHINA, ARABIAN NIGHTS, AND SO ON.

CHINA IS THE MOST DENSELY POPULATED COUNTRY.
NORWAY IS A VERY COLD COUNTRY.
‘THE POWER OF POSITIVE TALK’ IS A GOOD BOOK.

Thank you for reaching out to us! We’re looking forward to a long and prosperous relationship.

Interrogative adverbs

The interrogative adverbs why, where, how, & when are placed at the beginning of a question. These questions can be answered with a sentence or a prepositional phrase. After an interrogative adverb in a question, you must invert the subject and verb so that the verb comes first.
Examples

Why are you so late? There was a lot of traffic.
Where is my passport? In the drawer.
How are you? I'm fine.
When does the train arrive? At 11:15.

Uses of how

How can be used to form questions in four different ways. How can be used by itself to mean "in what way".
Examples

How did you make this sauce?
How do you start the car?
How can I get to your house?

How can be used with adjectives to ask about the degree of an attribute.
Examples

How tall are you?
How old is your house?
How angry is mother?

How can be used with much and many to ask about quantity. Much is used with uncountable nouns and many is used with countable nouns.
Examples

How many people are coming to the party?
How much flour do I need?
How much are these tomatoes?

How can be used with other adverbs to ask about the frequency or degree of an action.
Examples

How quickly can you read this?
How often do you go to London?
How loudly does your brother scream?

Adverbs of degree

Adverbs of degree tell us about the intensity of something. Adverbs of degree are usually placed before the adjective, adverb, or verb that they modify, although there are some exceptions. The words "too", "enough", "very", and "extremely" are examples of adverbs of degree.
Adverb of degree Modifying Example
extremely adjective The water was extremely cold.
quite adjective The movie is quite interesting.
just verb He was just leaving.
almost verb She has almost finished.
very adverb She is running very fast.
too adverb You are walking too slowly.
enough adverb You are running fast enough.
Usage of "enough"

Enough can be used as both an adverb and as a determiner.
Enough as an adverb

Enough as an adverb meaning 'to the necessary degree' goes after the adjective or adverb that it is modifying, and not before it as other adverbs do. It can be used both in positive and negative sentences.
Examples

Is your coffee hot enough?
This box isn't big enough.
He didn't work hard enough.
I got here early enough.

Enough is often followed by "to" + the infinitive.
Examples

He didn't work hard enough to pass the exam.
Is your coffee hot enough to drink?
She's not old enough to get married.
I got here early enough to sign up.

Enough can also be followed by "for someone" or "for something".
Examples

The dress was big enough for me.
She's not experienced enough for this job.
Is the coffee hot enough for you?
He didn't work hard enough for a promotion.

Enough as a determiner

Enough as a determiner meaning 'as much/many as necessary' goes before the noun it modifies. It is used with countable nouns in the plural and with uncountable nouns.
Examples

We have enough bread.
You have enough children.
They don't have enough food.
I don't have enough apples.

Usage of "too"

"Too" is always an adverb, but it has two distinct meanings, each with its own usage patterns.
Too meaning "also"

Too as an adverb meaning "also" goes at the end of the phrase it modifies.
Examples

I would like to go swimming too, if you will let me come.
Can I go to the zoo too?
Is this gift for me too?
I'm not going to clean your room too!

Too meaning "excessively"

Too as an adverb meaning "excessively" goes before the adjective or adverb it modifies. It can be used in both affirmative and negative sentences.
Examples

This coffee is too hot.
He works too hard.
Isn't she too young?
I am not too short!

Too is often followed by "to" + the infinitive.
Examples

The coffee was too hot to drink.
You're too young to have grandchildren!
I am not too tired to go out tonight.
Don't you work too hard to have any free time?

Too can also be followed by "for someone" or "for something".
Examples

The coffee was too hot for me.
The dress was too small for her.
He's not too old for this job.
Sally's not too slow for our team.

Usage of "very"

Very goes before an adverb or adjective to make it stronger.
Examples

The girl was very beautiful.
The house is very expensive.
He worked very quickly.
She runs very fast.

If we want to make a negative form of an adjective or adverb, we can add "not" to the verb, we can use an adjective or adverb of opposite meaning, or we can use "not very" with the original adjective or adverb. The meanings of the phrases are not identical. Usually the phrase using "not very" is less direct, and thus more polite, than the other phrases.
Examples
Original phrase Opposite meaning with "not" Opposite meaning with "not very" Opposite meaning with an opposite word
The girl was beautiful. The girl was not beautiful. The girl was not very beautiful. The girl was ugly.
He worked quickly. He did not work quickly. He did not work very quickly. He worked slowly.
Difference in meaning between "very" and "too"

There is a big difference in meaning between "too" and "very". "Very" expresses a fact while "too" suggests there is a problem.
Examples

He speaks very quickly.
He speaks too quickly for me to understand.
It is very hot outside.
It is too hot outside to go for a walk.

Other adverbs used like "very"

Some common adverbs are used in the same way as "very" to heighten the degree of adjectives and adverbs.
Expressing very strong feelings Expressing strong feelings Expressing somewhat doubtful feelings
extremely, terribly, amazingly, wonderfully, insanely especially, particularly, uncommonly, unusually, remarkably, quite pretty, rather, fairly, not especially, not particularly
The movie was amazingly interesting. The movie was particularly interesting. The movie was fairly interesting.
She sang wonderfully well. She sang unusually well. She sang pretty well.
The lecture was terribly boring. The lecture was quite boring. The lecture was rather boring.
Inversion with negative adverbs

Normally the subject goes before the verb, however, some negative adverbs can cause an inversion when placed at the beginning of the clause. The order is reversed and the verb goes before the subject. This inversion is only used in writing, not in speaking.
Adverb Normal word order Inversion
Never I have never seen such courage. Never have I seen such courage.
Rarely She rarely left the house. Rarely did she leave the house.
Not only She did not only the cooking but the cleaning as well. Not only did she do the cooking, but the cleaning as well.
Scarcely I scarcely closed the door before he started talking. Scarcely did I close the door before he started talking.
Seldom We seldom cross the river after sunset. Seldom do we cross the river sunset.Adverbs of degree

Adverbs of degree tell us about the intensity of something. Adverbs of degree are usually placed before the adjective, adverb, or verb that they modify, although there are some exceptions. The words "too", "enough", "very", and "extremely" are examples of adverbs of degree.
Adverb of degree Modifying Example
extremely adjective The water was extremely cold.
quite adjective The movie is quite interesting.
just verb He was just leaving.
almost verb She has almost finished.
very adverb She is running very fast.
too adverb You are walking too slowly.
enough adverb You are running fast enough.
Usage of "enough"

Enough can be used as both an adverb and as a determiner.
Enough as an adverb

Enough as an adverb meaning 'to the necessary degree' goes after the adjective or adverb that it is modifying, and not before it as other adverbs do. It can be used both in positive and negative sentences.
Examples

Is your coffee hot enough?
This box isn't big enough.
He didn't work hard enough.
I got here early enough.

Enough is often followed by "to" + the infinitive.
Examples

He didn't work hard enough to pass the exam.
Is your coffee hot enough to drink?
She's not old enough to get married.
I got here early enough to sign up.

Enough can also be followed by "for someone" or "for something".
Examples

The dress was big enough for me.
She's not experienced enough for this job.
Is the coffee hot enough for you?
He didn't work hard enough for a promotion.

Enough as a determiner

Enough as a determiner meaning 'as much/many as necessary' goes before the noun it modifies. It is used with countable nouns in the plural and with uncountable nouns.
Examples

We have enough bread.
You have enough children.
They don't have enough food.
I don't have enough apples.

Usage of "too"

"Too" is always an adverb, but it has two distinct meanings, each with its own usage patterns.
Too meaning "also"

Too as an adverb meaning "also" goes at the end of the phrase it modifies.
Examples

I would like to go swimming too, if you will let me come.
Can I go to the zoo too?
Is this gift for me too?
I'm not going to clean your room too!

Too meaning "excessively"

Too as an adverb meaning "excessively" goes before the adjective or adverb it modifies. It can be used in both affirmative and negative sentences.
Examples

This coffee is too hot.
He works too hard.
Isn't she too young?
I am not too short!

Too is often followed by "to" + the infinitive.
Examples

The coffee was too hot to drink.
You're too young to have grandchildren!
I am not too tired to go out tonight.
Don't you work too hard to have any free time?

Too can also be followed by "for someone" or "for something".
Examples

The coffee was too hot for me.
The dress was too small for her.
He's not too old for this job.
Sally's not too slow for our team.

Usage of "very"

Very goes before an adverb or adjective to make it stronger.
Examples

The girl was very beautiful.
The house is very expensive.
He worked very quickly.
She runs very fast.

If we want to make a negative form of an adjective or adverb, we can add "not" to the verb, we can use an adjective or adverb of opposite meaning, or we can use "not very" with the original adjective or adverb. The meanings of the phrases are not identical. Usually the phrase using "not very" is less direct, and thus more polite, than the other phrases.
Examples
Original phrase Opposite meaning with "not" Opposite meaning with "not very" Opposite meaning with an opposite word
The girl was beautiful. The girl was not beautiful. The girl was not very beautiful. The girl was ugly.
He worked quickly. He did not work quickly. He did not work very quickly. He worked slowly.
Difference in meaning between "very" and "too"

There is a big difference in meaning between "too" and "very". "Very" expresses a fact while "too" suggests there is a problem.
Examples

He speaks very quickly.
He speaks too quickly for me to understand.
It is very hot outside.
It is too hot outside to go for a walk.

Other adverbs used like "very"

Some common adverbs are used in the same way as "very" to heighten the degree of adjectives and adverbs.
Expressing very strong feelings Expressing strong feelings Expressing somewhat doubtful feelings
extremely, terribly, amazingly, wonderfully, insanely especially, particularly, uncommonly, unusually, remarkably, quite pretty, rather, fairly, not especially, not particularly
The movie was amazingly interesting. The movie was particularly interesting. The movie was fairly interesting.
She sang wonderfully well. She sang unusually well. She sang pretty well.
The lecture was terribly boring. The lecture was quite boring. The lecture was rather boring.
Inversion with negative adverbs

Normally the subject goes before the verb, however, some negative adverbs can cause an inversion when placed at the beginning of the clause. The order is reversed and the verb goes before the subject. This inversion is only used in writing, not in speaking.
Adverb Normal word order Inversion
Never I have never seen such courage. Never have I seen such courage.
Rarely She rarely left the house. Rarely did she leave the house.
Not only She did not only the cooking but the cleaning as well. Not only did she do the cooking, but the cleaning as well.
Scarcely I scarcely closed the door before he started talking. Scarcely did I close the door before he started talking.
Seldom We seldom cross the river after sunset. Seldom do we cross the river sunset.Adverbs of degree

Adverbs of degree tell us about the intensity of something. Adverbs of degree are usually placed before the adjective, adverb, or verb that they modify, although there are some exceptions. The words "too", "enough", "very", and "extremely" are examples of adverbs of degree.
Adverb of degree Modifying Example
extremely adjective The water was extremely cold.
quite adjective The movie is quite interesting.
just verb He was just leaving.
almost verb She has almost finished.
very adverb She is running very fast.
too adverb You are walking too slowly.
enough adverb You are running fast enough.
Usage of "enough"

Enough can be used as both an adverb and as a determiner.
Enough as an adverb

Enough as an adverb meaning 'to the necessary degree' goes after the adjective or adverb that it is modifying, and not before it as other adverbs do. It can be used both in positive and negative sentences.
Examples

Is your coffee hot enough?
This box isn't big enough.
He didn't work hard enough.
I got here early enough.

Enough is often followed by "to" + the infinitive.
Examples

He didn't work hard enough to pass the exam.
Is your coffee hot enough to drink?
She's not old enough to get married.
I got here early enough to sign up.

Enough can also be followed by "for someone" or "for something".
Examples

The dress was big enough for me.
She's not experienced enough for this job.
Is the coffee hot enough for you?
He didn't work hard enough for a promotion.

Enough as a determiner

Enough as a determiner meaning 'as much/many as necessary' goes before the noun it modifies. It is used with countable nouns in the plural and with uncountable nouns.
Examples

We have enough bread.
You have enough children.
They don't have enough food.
I don't have enough apples.

Usage of "too"

"Too" is always an adverb, but it has two distinct meanings, each with its own usage patterns.
Too meaning "also"

Too as an adverb meaning "also" goes at the end of the phrase it modifies.
Examples

I would like to go swimming too, if you will let me come.
Can I go to the zoo too?
Is this gift for me too?
I'm not going to clean your room too!

Too meaning "excessively"

Too as an adverb meaning "excessively" goes before the adjective or adverb it modifies. It can be used in both affirmative and negative sentences.
Examples

This coffee is too hot.
He works too hard.
Isn't she too young?
I am not too short!

Too is often followed by "to" + the infinitive.
Examples

The coffee was too hot to drink.
You're too young to have grandchildren!
I am not too tired to go out tonight.
Don't you work too hard to have any free time?

Too can also be followed by "for someone" or "for something".
Examples

The coffee was too hot for me.
The dress was too small for her.
He's not too old for this job.
Sally's not too slow for our team.

Usage of "very"

Very goes before an adverb or adjective to make it stronger.
Examples

The girl was very beautiful.
The house is very expensive.
He worked very quickly.
She runs very fast.

If we want to make a negative form of an adjective or adverb, we can add "not" to the verb, we can use an adjective or adverb of opposite meaning, or we can use "not very" with the original adjective or adverb. The meanings of the phrases are not identical. Usually the phrase using "not very" is less direct, and thus more polite, than the other phrases.
Examples
Original phrase Opposite meaning with "not" Opposite meaning with "not very" Opposite meaning with an opposite word
The girl was beautiful. The girl was not beautiful. The girl was not very beautiful. The girl was ugly.
He worked quickly. He did not work quickly. He did not work very quickly. He worked slowly.
Difference in meaning between "very" and "too"

There is a big difference in meaning between "too" and "very". "Very" expresses a fact while "too" suggests there is a problem.
Examples

He speaks very quickly.
He speaks too quickly for me to understand.
It is very hot outside.
It is too hot outside to go for a walk.

Other adverbs used like "very"

Some common adverbs are used in the same way as "very" to heighten the degree of adjectives and adverbs.
Expressing very strong feelings Expressing strong feelings Expressing somewhat doubtful feelings
extremely, terribly, amazingly, wonderfully, insanely especially, particularly, uncommonly, unusually, remarkably, quite pretty, rather, fairly, not especially, not particularly
The movie was amazingly interesting. The movie was particularly interesting. The movie was fairly interesting.
She sang wonderfully well. She sang unusually well. She sang pretty well.
The lecture was terribly boring. The lecture was quite boring. The lecture was rather boring.
Inversion with negative adverbs

Normally the subject goes before the verb, however, some negative adverbs can cause an inversion when placed at the beginning of the clause. The order is reversed and the verb goes before the subject. This inversion is only used in writing, not in speaking.
Adverb Normal word order Inversion
Never I have never seen such courage. Never have I seen such courage.
Rarely She rarely left the house. Rarely did she leave the house.
Not only She did not only the cooking but the cleaning as well. Not only did she do the cooking, but the cleaning as well.
Scarcely I scarcely closed the door before he started talking. Scarcely did I close the door before he started talking.
Seldom We seldom cross the river after sunset. Seldom do we cross the river sunset.