too much

[tipu s]

Hi,

Please, clarify the difference between 'too much' and 'much too'.

[Gillnetter]

Hi,

Please, clarify the difference between 'too much' and 'much too'.

"Too much" could mean more than needed. "Much to" could mean many things to do. Note the difference in spelling - too and to.

The noise was too much for my ears and I left because I had much to do later.

[Hedwig]

But can't much too be used as a synonym of very or excessively? OK, that's the meaning of too, but isn't much used in front sometimes for emphasis?

[Gillnetter]

But can't much too be used as a synonym of very or excessively? OK, that's the meaning of too, but isn't much used in front sometimes for emphasis?

Yes. It was much too loud for me.

[tipu s]

sorry, not clear

[5jj]

1. If there was a lot of something, and the amount was excessive, we had too much of it:

I ate too much pasta last night.
There is far too much drunkenness among young people today.

If the something is plural, then we use too many:

I drank too many cocktails last night,
He has been drunk too many times for us to overlook this last incident.

2. 'much' can intenisfy 'too' (near synonym' - 'far'):

I was much too greedy last night.
It was much too loud for me.

3. 'much too' can itself be intensified by 'much':

I ate much too much pasta last night.