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Anonymous Posted 16 years ago
Grammar
What part of speech is 'enough'
Here is a part of an email:
....................
How’s your job going at the call centre? Are you going to leave soon? I think you should, because you aren’t treated well there and the wages are barely enough to live on.
Could somebody tell me what part of speech is 'enough' in the context above. I cannot decide whether it's a determiner, adverb or a pronoun.
Thanks
....................
How’s your job going at the call centre? Are you going to leave soon? I think you should, because you aren’t treated well there and the wages are barely enough to live on.
Could somebody tell me what part of speech is 'enough' in the context above. I cannot decide whether it's a determiner, adverb or a pronoun.
Thanks
Top answer
Hey, thanks for the confidence, but you're asking the wrong guy! My technical training stopped in 1954. I don't think transitional grammar had been invented.
- Hey, thanks for the confidence, but you're asking the wrong guy!
- My technical training stopped in 1954.
- I don't think transitional grammar had been invented.
- " and the wages are barely enough to live on.
- " But I got zapped recently for thinking that such complements were nouns or adjectives.
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30 Answers
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Hey, thanks for the confidence, but you're asking the wrong guy! My technical training stopped in 1954. I don't think transitional grammar had been invented.
I shy away from the term "determiner."
and the wages are barely enough to live on.
"Enough" is obviously the complement of the verb "to be."
I shy away from the term "determiner."
and the wages are barely enough to live on.
"Enough" is obviously the complement of the verb "to be."
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Thanks Avangi for your thoughts. I believe it to be an Adverb in this context but am not 100% sure.
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Hi, Dave.
I think I know where you're coming from on this.
When we use the "what question does it answer" approach, "enough" seems to answer "how much?" But I just don't get the feeling that it tells how the verb does its thing.
I can hear "barely" as adverbial. That is, "They barely ARE enough."
Best regards, - A.
I think I know where you're coming from on this.
When we use the "what question does it answer" approach, "enough" seems to answer "how much?" But I just don't get the feeling that it tells how the verb does its thing.
I can hear "barely" as adverbial. That is, "They barely ARE enough."
Best regards, - A.
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"Enough as an adverb (after an adjective, adverb or verb); The rope isn't long enough. She didn't move quick enough." Macmillan English Student's Dictionary.
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and the wages are barely enough to live on.
(after an adjective, adverb or verb); The rope isn't long enough.
Do you really feel these are the same?
Wages are enough.
Rope is long - - - - - (enough)
To
(after an adjective, adverb or verb); The rope isn't long enough.
Do you really feel these are the same?
Wages are enough.
Rope is long - - - - - (enough)
To
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I wonder if perhaps you're taking "after a verb" as "anytime after a verb." The rule you quote is a little ambiguous in this respect.
I believe they'd consider that in The rope isn't long enough, "enough" is after the adjective "long."
I believe they'd consider that in The rope isn't long enough, "enough" is after the adjective "long."
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Ouch! I just lost a long post!
The rule you quote appears to cover this case, when you consider that "barely" is an adverb.
But think about this:
The wages are enough. This works as a sentence. "Enough" follows the verb "are," but it's not an adverb. It's the ****** verb complement. This is a "being verb," telling us what the wages are.
The rule you quote appears to cover this case, when you consider that "barely" is an adverb.
But think about this:
The wages are enough. This works as a sentence. "Enough" follows the verb "are," but it's not an adverb. It's the ****** verb complement. This is a "being verb," telling us what the wages are.
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That lead me to look at Eastwood and Adverbs of degree.
" Enough comes after the adjective or adverb it modifies"
Swan says Enough
1. adjective/adverb + enough
When enough modifies an adjective or adverb, it normally comes after the adjective/adverb.
Then we have;
2. Enough + noun
3. Position od adjective + Noun (quote as above c
" Enough comes after the adjective or adverb it modifies"
Swan says Enough
1. adjective/adverb + enough
When enough modifies an adjective or adverb, it normally comes after the adjective/adverb.
Then we have;
2. Enough + noun
3. Position od adjective + Noun (quote as above c
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So are you still calling "enough" an adverb in the original example? 
S
S
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