(not) too + ADJECTIVE | ADVERB + to INFINITIVE

The degree adverb ‘TOO‘ before adjectives (and other adverbs) has a comparative meaning, in other words, meaning ‘MORE THAN

According to the English Vocabulary Profile, this is A1 grammar:

I don’t have enough information. 

I can’t tell you my prediction yet. 

It is too early.

*It is earlier than I want it to be.  TOO has a negative meaning.

The negative form ‘NOT TOO‘ can be used in the same position meaning ‘NOT VERY‘ as an example of A2 grammar:

I disagree

you should know by now 

because it is not too early.

*It is not very early. Maybe it is a little early.

We can also explain what is too early:

It is too early to tell.

listen

According to the English Grammar Profile, this comparative clause structure including an adjective is B1 grammar.  *It also may express modality = the attitude of the speaker (either negative or related to certainty.)

Furthermore, because there is no version of this structure that includes an adverb, we believe the structure is at least B2.  Here’s an advanced example with the adverb ‘slowly‘:

French authorities had been blind to the preparations for genocide 

and then reacted too slowly to appreciate the extent of the killings

 and to respond to them.

abcnews.go.com

Finally, because the EVP makes a difference for the negative form ‘NOT TOO’, we believe this is at least an example of C1 grammar.  For example:

In that case,

 it is not too soon to learn 

how to behave 

like the Duc de la Tremoille.

Vatel


Here’s a search for which adjectives and infinitives are most common in the iWeb corpus:

too _J to _VVI

1 TOO EARLY TO TELL 4736
2 TOO EARLY TO SAY 4112
3 TOO EARLY TO START 3206
4 TOO GOOD TO PASS 2967 (pass up = unlisted phrasal verb = refrain from taking up an opportunity.)
5 TOO BIG TO FAIL 2827

This is too big to fail.

listen

6 TOO LATE TO START 2586
7 TOO LATE TO GET 2399
8 TOO LONG TO GET 2093
9 TOO EASY TO GET 1848
10 TOO HARD TO GET 1801
11 TOO BIG TO FIT 1678
12 TOO LATE TO MAKE 1628
13 TOO HARD TO FIND 1603
14 TOO YOUNG TO REMEMBER 1520
15 TOO LATE TO CHANGE 1504
16 TOO LATE TO SAVE 1492


17 TOO LARGE TO FIT 1425

hear folks saying,

 I had one activist say to me that 

the pain that he was feeling was too large to fit into his body. 

And without thinking about it, 

I said right back, “

That’s because it’s too large to fit into a lifetime.”


18 TOO EARLY TO KNOW 1322
19 TOO NUMEROUS TO MENTION 1231
20 TOO YOUNG TO UNDERSTAND 1102
21 TOO HARD TO MAKE 1060
22 TOO SMALL TO SEE 984
23 TOO LATE TO STOP 860
24 TOO NUMEROUS TO LIST 860
25 TOO YOUNG TO KNOW 825
26 TOO HOT TO TOUCH 807
27 TOO LATE TO LEARN 786
28 TOO GOOD TO MISS 779
29 TOO HOT TO HANDLE 751
30 TOO EARLY TO MAKE 730
31 TOO LAZY TO GO 718
32 TOO DIFFICULT TO GET 711
33 TOO LATE TO TAKE 693
34 TOO OLD TO LEARN 661
35 TOO EASY TO FORGET 646
36 TOO LONG TO MAKE 637
37 TOO SMALL TO MAKE 634
38 TOO EARLY TO GET 623
39 TOO LATE TO GO 614
40 TOO DIFFICULT TO FIND 591
41 TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE 579
42 TOO LONG TO LOAD 573
43 TOO SMALL TO READ 567
44 TOO LONG TO WAIT 564
45 TOO LAZY TO GET 560
46 TOO SMALL TO FIT 560
47 TOO DARK TO SEE 556
48 TOO EASY TO MAKE 542
49 TOO LATE TO TURN 517
50 TOO LAZY TO LOOK 512
51 TOO SCARED TO GO 512
52 TOO LATE TO HELP 501
53 TOO BUSY TO TAKE 500
54 TOO LATE TO JOIN 488
55 TOO EARLY TO TALK 487
56 TOO EARLY TO BEGIN 481
57 TOO HEAVY TO CARRY 480
58 TOO LATE TO PREVENT 478
59 TOO LAZY TO MAKE 441
60 TOO YOUNG TO GET 441
61 TOO OLD TO PLAY 440
62 TOO HARD TO FIGURE 438
63 TOO HARD TO SEE 438
64 TOO HARD TO KEEP 432
65 TOO NUMEROUS TO COUNT 431
66 TOO EARLY TO JUDGE 428
67 TOO CHEAP TO BUY 427
68 TOO SMALL TO ACCOMMODATE 427
69 TOO EARLY TO CALL 426
70 TOO DIFFICULT TO MAKE 421
71 TOO HAPPY TO HELP 414
72 TOO POOR TO AFFORD 412
73 TOO SMALL TO HOLD 409
74 TOO FAR TO WALK 397
75 TOO SHY TO ASK 397
76 TOO STUPID TO UNDERSTAND 391
77 TOO EASY TO FALL 386
78 TOO EMBARRASSED TO ASK 383
79 TOO BUSY TO GET 381
80 TOO TIRED TO GO 365
81 TOO EARLY TO SEE 359
82 TOO EARLY TO SPECULATE 359
83 TOO LATE TO TRY 351
84 TOO DIFFICULT TO USE 349
85 TOO GOOD TO IGNORE 349
86 TOO EXPENSIVE TO BUY 344
87 TOO LATE TO FIX 343
88 TOO HARD TO USE 336
89 TOO EASY TO FIND 335
90 TOO BIG TO IGNORE 334
91 TOO IMPATIENT TO WAIT 334
92 TOO LATE TO FIND 331
93 TOO AFRAID TO ASK 330
94 TOO HARD TO UNDERSTAND 328
95 TOO LONG TO COMPLETE 328
96 TOO STUPID TO KNOW 326
97 TOO OLD TO START 325
98 TOO EASY TO LOSE 324
99 TOO LAZY TO READ 322
100 TOO GREAT TO IGNORE 319

A2 Vocabulary:

afraid, busy, call, complete, fail, fall, far, fit, forget, heavy, hold, join, keep, large, lazy, list, lose, pass, save, try, turn


Here’s a search for which lexical verbs, adverbs and infinitives are most common in the iWeb corpus:

_VV too _R _TO _VVI

1 MOVED TOO SLOWLY TO CONTAIN 49
2 GOING TOO SLOWLY TO PREVENT 46
3 MOVED TOO SLOWLY TO RECALL 39
4 MOVING TOO QUICKLY TO REOPEN 27
5 MOVING TOO SLOWLY TO REOPEN 20
6 SPREADING TOO FAST TO LIFT 19
7 GOING TOO FAST TO STOP 16
8 MOVING TOO SLOWLY TO ADDRESS 16
9 ACTED TOO SLOWLY TO END 15
10 REACTED TOO SLOWLY TO APPRECIATE 15
11 RUSHES TOO FAST TO REOPEN 13
12 LOOK TOO CLOSELY TO SEE 12
13 MOVING TOO SLOWLY TO HELP 12
14 ACTING TOO SLOWLY TO STOP 10
15 MOVE TOO QUICKLY TO MEET 10
16 MOVED TOO QUICKLY TO CEMENT 10
17 MOVING TOO FAST TO REOPEN 10
18 MOVING TOO QUICKLY TO ALLOW 10
19 MOVING TOO SLOWLY TO GET 10
20 GOING TOO FAST TO MAKE 9

B2 vocabulary:

appreciate, closely, reacted, recall, rushes, spreading

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