notenoughfans-Enhanced-SR

Article by

Language level

Language level: 3

Downloadable files

Transcript
Worksheet 1
Worksheet 2

Learning goals

Skills: Listening

Language: too and enough

Pronunciation: words that end with -OUGH

Task: Five sentence transformations

Understanding Grammar: Enough v Too

In this week's Premier Skills English Podcast, Rich is very tired and he doesn't know why. Jack thinks it might be Rich's diet or lack of exercise but it's actually something very different ... The language focus is on the words enough and too and how we use them to talk about things we would like to do more of and things we would like to do less. As always, we also have a new football phrase for you to guess. Enjoy!

If you find the podcast difficult to understand, you can read the transcript and listen at the same time.

Read and listen at the same time.

How much did you understand?

In the podcast, Rich and Jack used some words and phrases that might be new for you. Do you know the words in bold?

I'm so tired, Jack. I think I might be coming down with something.

Maybe you're on to something there but I still don't know why I'm tired all the time.

There were a few more tricky words in the podcast. Do you know what they all mean? Try the activity below, then, listen to the podcast again to hear how we used the words.

Activity 1: In this activity, try to match the words and phrases to their definitions. All of the words were in this week's podcast.

Zlatan is back for Manchester Utd but is he fit ENOUGH to play 90 minutes?

Zlatan is back for Manchester Utd but is he fit ENOUGH to play 90 minutes?

Too

Too means more than is necessary or more of something than you want. You can use too in different ways:

Too + adjective/adverb

I'm too tired to do this now.

The match kicked off too late. I couldn't watch it.

Too much/ Too many

A noun always follows too much or too many:

Rich watches too much football.

Rich eats too many sweets.

Too + adjective/adverb + infinitive with to

This is a common structure that includes too:

It's too cold to play football.

She's too young to get married.

Should I use so or too?

Learners sometimes make mistake when using too and so. When we use too we are talking about things that are negative. Look at the sentences below. It would be strange to say that you are too happy! That would mean that you want to be less happy!

I am too happy. I am so happy.

I have too many friends. I have so many freinds.

Manchester are TOO good for the rest of the Premier League at the moment.

Manchester are TOO good for the rest of the Premier League at the moment.

Enough

Enough means sufficient or as much as is necessary or as much as you want. Enough is much more common in negative sentences than positive sentences. You can use enough in different ways:

Adjective/adverb + enough

That player isn't fit enough.

You didn't do the exam carefully enough.

Enough + noun

I don't have enough time.

I don't have enough money.

In the activity below, take a look at some sentences and put too and enough in the right places.

Activity 2: In this activity, use your knowledge of too and enough to complete the sentences.

-OUGH

The word enough has a very complicated spelling. It ends in -ough. This is a very common cluster (group of letters together) in English. Learners often have problems pronouncing this cluster because it can be pronounced in many different ways. In fact, there are eight different ways to pronounce

-OUGH. Enough is pronounced /ɪˈnʌf/. The -OUGH sounds like -uff like in the words stuff or muffin. Here are the other ways to pronounce -OUGH with some example words. Can you practise saying all of them?

-OUGH    Sounds like ...    -OUGH    Sounds like ...
though go through  too  
cough off enough    fluff
ploughpower ought    saw 
boroughbrother loughlock
That's TOO loud ref!

That's TOO loud ref!

Sentence Transformations

This week's task is to write five sentence transformations. You have to look at one sentence and then change the sentence and use the keyword (enough or too). When you change the sentences you need to keep the original meaning. Write your answers in the comments section. Here are your five questions:

I couldn’t hear what the referee was saying because the crowd was shouting so much.
TOO
The crowd  were______________________ hear what the referee was saying.

The player couldn’t see over the wall because he was so small.
ENOUGH
He was _____________________ see over the wall.

We need more goals if we want to qualify for the next round.
ENOUGH
We  _____________ goals to qualify for the next round.

I didn’t go into the stadium because it was too crowded.
MANY
I didn’t go into the stadium because there were _________ people.

I didn’t buy the camera because I couldn’t afford it.
TOO
The camera was __________ I didn’t buy it.

Quiz

What do you think?

In this week’s podcast, Jack and Rich spoke about things they do too much of and things they don't do enough.

Do you do enough exercise? Do you get enough sleep? Are you energetic enough in the morning?

Do you watch too much football? What do you do too much? What do you not do enough of?

Look at the task above and write your answers below.

Remember to write your guess at this week's football phrase, too!

If you want us to correct your English, just write 'correct me' at the beginning of your comment.

Log in or register to post comments