A puzzling question

Question

One of the following sentences is CORRECT. Which one is it?
a. The suitcase enough heavy for me to carry.
b. The suitcase is so much heavy that I can’t carry it.
c. The suitcase is too much heavy for me to carry.
d. The suitcase is much too heavy for me to carry.

My answer is 'd'. However, I feel that both 'b' & 'c' are OK. Why are they incorrect?

Cool Breeze · Accepted Answer

Omar AhmedWhy are they incorrect?

People never say so much + an adjective and too much + an adjective.

CB

CalifJim · Answer

Omar AhmedI feel that both 'b' & 'c' are OK. Why are they incorrect?

The rules for much are different for adjectives and adverbs when compared to nouns. In short, much is not used with adjectives or adverbs.

Here are some patterns worth remembering.

noun / adjective (or adverb)

how much sugar? / how heavy?
not much sugar / not heavy
very much sugar / very heavy
too much sugar / too heavy
so much sugar that [result clause] / so heavy that [result clause]

So if you find yourself writing much before an adjective or adverb, you need to remove much and check your sentence again to be sure it's grammatical.

much (informally way) can modify too, but not the others.

much too much sugar / much too heavy
way too much sugar / way too heavy (informal)

enough isn't used with much, very, too, or so, but, strange to say, it goes before a noun but after an adjective (or adverb).

enough sugar / heavy enough
not enough sugar / not heavy enough

CJ

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