Correct Use of ‘Adverbs’
A – Use of ‘Too’
‘Too’ is used in the sense of ‘more than required’ before bad qualities expressing adjectives as:
She was too ugly.
That film was too horrible.
He is too dull.
Note: ‘Too’ is not used before good qualities expressing adjectives as:
He was too healthy (Incorrect)
He was very healthy (Correct)
She is too happy (Incorrect)
She is very happy (Correct)
Rule 2: Good or bad qualities expressing adjectives are used after the adverb – ‘too’ in the structure – ‘Subject + verb + too + Adjectives + to + Verb 1as:
The news was too good to be true.
He was too weak to walk.
She was too fat to run.
B – Use of ‘Very’
Rule 1: ‘Very’ is used in the sense of ‘in a high degree’ or ‘extremely’ before good or bad qualities expressing adjectives of positive degree as:
She is very beautiful.
He was very dull.
This sum is very difficult.
That sum was very easy.
Ram is very intelligent.
Note: ‘Very’ is also used in the sense of in a high degree or extremely before adverbs and determiners as:
I am very very grateful.
Very few people know that.
Rule 2: The structure – ‘The + very + superlative degree’ is used in English language as:
He was the very best player (Correct)
He was very the best player (Incorrect)
Note: 1 – But the structure – ‘Very + the + superlative degree’ is not used in English language.
2 – In other words, ‘Very’ is used to emphasize the adjective of superlative degree as:
They wanted the very best quality.
3 – ‘Very’ is used before ‘own’ to emphasize it as:
At last he had his very own car.
(belonging to him and to nobody else.)
4 – ‘The very same’ is used in the sense of ‘exactly the same’ as:
Mrs. Pandey said the very same thing.
5 – ‘Very’ is used before a noun as an adjective to emphasize that you are talking about a particular thing or person and not about another as:
Those were her very words.
He might be phoning her at this very moment.
6 – ‘Very’ is used before a noun as an adjective to emphasize an extreme place or time as:
It happens at the very beginning of the book.
7 – ‘Very’ is used as an adjective to emphasize a noun as:
The very thought of drink made him feel sick.
Rule 3: ‘Very’ is used before present participle as:
It is a very interesting story.
It is a much interesting story (Incorrect)
Note: 1 – ‘Much is not used before present participle. (Ing Verbs)
Rule 4: ‘Very’ is used before past participle in the sentence of passive voice as:
He was very much pleased to see his beloved (Correct)
He was much pleased to see his beloved (Incorrect)
Rule 5: When the past participle – ‘pleased’ means ‘glad / happy’, ‘very’ is used before it (pleased). But ‘much’ is not used before it as:
It was a very shocked expression.
She looked very surprised.
It was a very frightened animal.
Note: Both ‘Too’ and ‘Very’ are used before some adjectives. But their meanings are different. The adverb – ‘too’ has an undesirable meaning while the adverb – ‘very’ has desirable meaning.
Too + Adjective
1) He is too tall.
(He is taller than he should be.)
2) She is too slim.
(She is slimmer that she should be.)
3) It is too cold.
(It is colder that it should be.)
Very + Adjective
1) He is very tall.
(He is tall in a high degree.)
2) She is very slim.
(She is slim in high degree.)
3) It is very cold.
(It is cold in a high degree.)