[General] Beginners are too apt to make mistakes.

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jiamajia

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Beginners are too apt to make mistakes.---they can make mistakes

He is too ready to promise.---he can promise

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The above two sentences are from an English grammar book (compiled by Chinese nationals) indicating the structure 'too....to' has some exceptions that the infinitive part denotes a positve rather than a negative meaning.

Please confirm the way the writer uses 'too ... to' structure in the two sentences is correct. Thank you.
 
While the first sentence is correct, the too is not-needed as the word apt implies that mistakes will occer frequently.

In the second, the too is incorrent, I'd remove it unless it's used as a counter to an argument:
A: "He is not ready to promise"
B: "He is too ready to promise"

On its own, I would omit the too

JT
*Not a teacher
 
Beginners are too apt to make mistakes.---they can make mistakes

He is too ready to promise.---he can promise

--------------------------------------

The above two sentences are from an English grammar book (compiled by Chinese nationals) indicating the structure 'too....to' has some exceptions that the infinitive part denotes a positve rather than a negative meaning.

Please confirm the way the writer uses 'too ... to' structure in the two sentences is correct. Thank you.

The "too...to" structure is correct, but I would disagree a little with the definition.

Beginners are too apt to make mistakes = Beginners make too many mistakes.

He is too ready to promise = he promises without thinking about it thoroughly first.

It doesn't just mean ability ("...can make mistakes"; "...can promise".)

She's far too quick to make judgements about other people = she makes up her mind (or has an opinion) about people too quickly, without giving it enough time to form a properly considered opinion.
 
The "too...to" structure is correct, but I would disagree a little with the definition.

Beginners are too apt to make mistakes = Beginners make too many mistakes.

He is too ready to promise = he promises without thinking about it thoroughly first.

It doesn't just mean ability ("...can make mistakes"; "...can promise".)

She's far too quick to make judgements about other people = she makes up her mind (or has an opinion) about people too quickly, without giving it enough time to form a properly considered opinion.
I prefer your understanding of the second sentence, more likely than mine.

JT
 
Is there any nuance if 'too' is replaced with 'so' in the two sentences?

Thank you.
 
It suggests more a of a negative tendency to me.
 
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