[Grammar] We haven't got enough big nails/We haven't got big enough nails

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nininaz

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2013
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Italian
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Italy
Current Location
India
Hello all,
How we can use 'enough' when we have adjective and noun together ?
is there any differences in their meanings?

1.We haven't got enough big nails.
2.We haven't got big enough nails. (nails here means fingernails or small thin pointed piece of metal ?)

1.I have enough good friends.
2.I have good enough friends.


Thanks.
 
1. 'We haven't got enough big nails' means 'We haven't got enough nails that are big'.
2. 'We haven't got big enough nails' means 'We haven't got nails that are big enough'.
 
1. 'We haven't got enough big nails' means 'We haven't got enough nails that are big'.
2. 'We haven't got big enough nails' means 'We haven't got nails that are big enough'.
Thanks for your rely.But your explanations made me more confused.
 
'Enough' in 'enough nails that are big' refers to the number of nails.
'Enough' in 'nails that are big enough' refers to the size of nails.
 
1. I don't need any more good friends. (Can any of us really think that?)

2. My friends are good enough (though they could be better).

This would have been better as two separate threads, and the second 1 and 2 would have been better as 3 and 4.
 
1. I don't need any more good friends. (Can any of us really think that?)

2. My friends are good enough (though they could be better).

This would have been better as two separate threads, and the second 1 and 2 would have been better as 3 and 4.
Thanks.
If I modified number 3,4 sentences as following so that makes sense?
1.I haven't got enough good friends.(I have not as many good friends as I should )
2.I haven't got good enough friends.(My friends are not as good as they should be)
 
Last edited:
'Enough' in 'enough nails that are big' refers to the number of nails.
'Enough' in 'nails that are big enough' refers to the size of nails.

1.We haven't got enough big nails. refers to the number of nails.
2.We haven't got big enough nails. refers to the size of nails.
 
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