More than/all too

Question

Do the too sentences sound natural to you?
It is all too natural that you experience different cultures when you trave abroad.
It is more than natural that you experience different cultures when you trave abroad.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

wangqh2696122Do the ~~too~~ two sentences sound natural to you?
1 It is all too natural that you experience different cultures when you travel abroad.
2 It is more than natural that you experience different cultures when you travel abroad.

1 is good as shown.
2 is not natural.

CJ

Wangqh2696122 · Answer

CalifJimwangqh2696122Do the too two sentences sound natural to you? 1 It is all too natural that you experience different cultures when you travel abroad. 2 It is more than natural that you experience different cultures when you travel abroad.1 is good as shown.2 is not natural.CJ

According to Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, “more than” means“ very”. Here are the examples given:
It's more than likely that there's oil here under the ground.
I was more than a little (= I was very) curious about the whole business.
FORMAL We will be more than glad/happy/willing to help you in any way we can.
So "very" seems to fit well in this sentence.

CalifJim · Answer

Ah, yes. You've stumbled upon one of the conundrums of dictionaries.

They give you an example and explain what the word (or phrase) means in that example, but, contrary to what many learners think, it doesn't mean you can use that word (or phrase) in every case where you want to convey the given meaning. Unfortunately, the appropriate usage of the word (or phrase) is often much more limited than the dictionary might lead you to believe.

As it turns out, 'more than natural' doesn't strike me as a phrase you will hear very often, if at all (though it is not completely impossible). Once a thing is natural, it isn't likely that it can become more natural than it already is — in the reading intended in your sentence, which has a meaning similar to 'logical'. It is [logical / natural / expected] that you experience certain things when you travel.

'natural' isn't like 'likely', 'curious', or 'happy', because you can have different degrees of 'likely', 'curious', or 'happy'. One event is more (or less) likely to occur than another. One person is more (or less) curious or happy than another.

You can use 'more than natural' if you really want to, but recognize that it isn't one of the most idiomatic expressions in the English language as it is used in that sentence.

CJ

Wangqh2696122 · Answer

Thank

CalifJimAh, yes. You've stumbled upon one of the conundrums of dictionaries. They give you an example and explain what the word (or phrase) means in that example, but, contrary to what many learners think, it doesn't mean you can use that word (or phrase) in every case where you want to convey the given meaning. Unfortunately, the appropriate usage of the word (or phrase) is often much more limited than the dictionary might lead you to believe. As it turns out, 'more than natural' doesn't strike me as a phrase you will hear very often, if at all (though it is not completely impossible). Once a thing is natural, it isn't likely that it can become more natural than it already is — in the reading intended in your sentence, which has a meaning similar to 'logical'. It is [logical / natural / expected] that you experience certain things when you travel.'natural' isn't like 'likely', 'curious', or 'happy', because you can have different degrees of 'likely', 'curious', or 'happy'. One event is more (or less) likely to occur than another. One person is more (or less) curious or happy than another.You can use 'more than natural' if you really want to, but recognize that it isn't one of the most idiomatic expressions in the English language as it is used in that sentence.CJ

Thank you for your wonderful explanation! Many a time I turn to a dictionary when I am not sure of the usage of a word. It does hepl me a lot, but there a times when I get confused. Thank you once again!

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