Using "enough"

Do you know how to use the word enough?

Look at these examples to see how enough is used.

• She's not old enough to walk yet.

• We are not acting fast enough to stop climate change.

• I don't read enough.

• Is there enough coffee for everyone?

• We've had enough of their lies.

Explanation

The word “enough” means that something meets a required or desired standard without excess. It might be translated as “as much as necessary.” It can be used in the English language:

• as a determiner

• as a pronoun

• with adjectives

• with nouns

• with verbs

• with adverbs

• with an adjective and a noun

• in the phrase “enough of”

It can be used with an adjective, an adverb, a verb or a noun. It can also act as a pronoun.

With adjectives and adverbs

enough comes after adjectives and adverbs.

• 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.

• 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.

With nouns

enough comes before nouns.

• 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.

• A: Do you want more coffee? B: No, I've had enough, thanks.

We know what the noun is because of the context.

With an adjective and a noun

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

• We haven't got big enough envelopes.

• We haven't got enough big envelopes.

• 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.

enough of

We normally only use enough of when it is followed by a determiner or a pronoun (a/an/the, this/that, my/your/his, you/them, etc.).

• There isn't enough of that bread to make sandwiches for everyone.

• I've seen enough of his work to be able to recommend him.

• There's enough of us to make a difference.