How to combine two sentences using too...to...

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We can combine two sentences using too...to.

Study the pair of sentences given below.

She is very fat. She cannot run fast.

We can combine these two ideas using too...to.

She is too fat to run fast.

Another example is given below.

She was very tired. She could not continue working.

She was too tired to continue working.

The girl was very arrogant. She did not listen to my advice.

The girl was too arrogant to listen to my advice.

Janet was very polite. She could not refuse my request.

Janet was too polite to refuse my request.

When both clauses are affirmative

Study the example given below.

The dress was quite striking. It attracted attention.

Here we are combining two affirmative clauses using too...to. In this case, we use not before the to-infinitive.

The dress was too striking not to attract attention.

The hall is very large. It will be able to accommodate all invitees.
The hall is too large not to be able to accommodate all invitees.

We can express the same ideas using enough.

The dress was striking enough to attract attention.
The hall is large enough to accommodate all invitees.

When the clauses have different subjects

When the clauses have different subjects we have to use a structure with for.

Read the sentences given below.

The dress was very expensive. I could not buy it.

Here the clauses have different subjects. This is how we combine it.

The dress was too expensive for me to buy (it).

The object pronoun can be used after the to-infinitive in structures with for.

The box was very heavy. The boy could not lift it.
The box was too heavy for the boy to lift. OR The box was too heavy for the boy to lift it.

There was too much snow. We could not go walking.
There was too much snow for us to go walking.

The runway is too short. Planes cannot land on it.
The runway is too short for planes to land.

Sections in this article

Transformation of sentences - I
Transformation of sentences - II
Transformation of a Simple sentence into a compound sentence
Transformation of a compound sentence into a simple sentence
Transformation of a simple sentence into a complex sentence
Transformation of a complex sentence into a simple sentence
Transformation of sentences containing too
Interchange of degrees of comparison
Combining two sentences using too...to and so...that
How to combine two sentences using too...to

See Also

Exclamations
Exclamations exercise
Exclamations: common errors
Common mistakes with pronouns - Part 2
Common errors with adjectives - part 1
Common errors with adjectives - part 2

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