Enough / Not Enough

Enough / Not Enough

by Daniel Pineda

​enough means 'as much as necessary'. It can be used with an adjective, an adverb, a verb or a noun.

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It can also act as a pronoun.

With adjectives and adverbs​

​enough comes after adjectives and adverbs.

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I'm not tall enough to reach the top shelf.

Your marks are good enough to study engineering at university.

I couldn't write quickly enough and I ran out of time.

I've helped at conferences often enough to know what can go wrong.

​With verbs

enough comes after verbs.

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​I make sure I drink enough during the day.

I don't read enough but I'm going to start downloading books to my phone.

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​enough comes before nouns.

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There isn't enough bread to make sandwiches.

Have you got enough money?

​As a pronoun

​enough can also be used without a noun.

 

I'll get some more chairs. There aren't enough.

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A: Do you want more coffee?

B: No, I've had enough, thanks.

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We know what the noun is because of the context.

With and adjective and a noun

​When enough is used with an adjective and a noun, two positions are possible but the meaning changes.

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We haven't got big enough envelopes. 

We haven't got enough big envelopes.

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When enough is after the adjective (big enough envelopes), it describes the adjective – the envelopes are too small. When enough is before the adjective (enough big envelopes), it describes the noun phrase – we have some big envelopes, but we need more.

Multiple Choice

In my house, there aren't __________.

• rooms enough

• enough rooms

Multiple Choice

My sister isn't ______________.

• old enough

• enough old

Multiple Choice

There aren't _____________ in my house.

• windows enough

• enough windows

Multiple Choice

My boyfriend isn't _______.

• enough cute

• cute enough

Multiple Choice

Houses don't have________

• enough privacy

• privacy enough

Multiple Choice

The classroom is not________________.

• quiet enough

• enough quiet

Multiple Choice

We don't have___________.

• enough time

• time enough

Multiple Choice

The rope isn't_______________

• enough strong

• strong enough

Multiple Choice

There aren't_______________.

• enough potatoes

• potatoes enough

Multiple Choice

My motorcycle isn't____________.

• faster enough

• enough faster