Very vs. Too

  Look at the two sentences. How are they different?

A: It is very hot.
B: It is too hot.

A is a simple statement- It's HOT!
But B shows some difficulty, like maybe because it is so hot, I feel terrible. Or because it is so hot, no one is happy.
Here are some more...

C: Lisa is very tall.
D: Lisa is too tall.

C is a simple statement. Wow! Lisa is a tall girl.
But D has a negative feeling. Perhaps because Lisa is tall, she hits her head on the ceiling. Or maybe she is so tall, she can't get a date or has no friends.
So remember, using too shows that there is a problem with the situation.

Check Your Understanding
Choose very or too. Check your answers by clicking on the arrow below. 1. I think James is nice. Karen thinks James is nice, too.

James is ___ nice.

very
too
2. It's cold outside. I hate it. I might become sick if I go out.

It's ___ cold outside.

very
too
3. That box is so big. I can't pick it up.

That box is ___ big.

very
too
4. Tony's cat is fat. It weighs 8 kg.

Tony's cat is ___ fat.

very
too
5. Tony's cat is fat. It can't run. It may not live a long time.

Tony's cat is ___ fat.

very
too
Answers 1-very, 2-too, 3-too, 4-very, 5-too