Enough

Enough is a determiner, a pronoun or an adverb. We use enough to mean ‘as much as we need or want’.

Enough as a determiner

We can use enough before a noun as a determiner:

• A: Do you have enough money to pay for your train fare and taxis?
• B: Yes, thanks. I’m fine.
• There was enough food for about ten people.

We use enough of before other determiners (the, my) and pronouns (us, them):

• You haven’t eaten enough of your dinner, Jason.
• Not: You haven’t eaten enough your dinner, Jason.
• There weren’t enough of them.
• Not: There weren’t enough them.

Enough as a pronoun

We can use enough as a pronoun:

• [at the end of a meal]
• A: Have you had enough?
• B: Yes, thanks. That was delicious.
• I need to go and get some more chairs. There aren’t enough here.

Enough as an adverb

We use enough as an adverb of degree:

• A: Are you ready for your exam?
• B: Yes, I think I’ve studied enough. That’s all I can do.

warning

We use enough as an adverb directly after an adjective or directly after another adverb:

• Is this box big enough for all those books?
• Not: Is this box enough big …
• Strangely enough*, no one seemed to notice that Boris was in his pyjamas.* (It is/was strange that no one …)