Much, very, too, enough:
(a) Much qualifies Adjectives and Adverbs in the comparative degree; but very qualifies Adjectives and Adverbs in the positive degree. Much also goes with past participles; but very goes with present parti ciples.
Very is, however, used now before past participles (like pleased, tired, delighted, contented, etc.) when they have so completely lost their verbal force as to become true adjective. (Good English by G. H. Vallins: The Complete Plain Words by Gowers).
I am very happy.
He is much happier than before.
He is a very clever boy.
He is much more intelligent than you.
The sight is very charming.
He was much charmed.
It was a very pleasing sight.
He was much (also, very) pleased to see me.
I am very tired.
(b) Too implies excess, i.e., that the limit has been exceeded.
Thus, I am too weak to walk =my weakness has exceeded the limit within which I could manage to walk. It should not be confounded with very.
Thus,
He was very late for school = he went to school, but was very late.
He was too late for school = when he reached there, school was over
He is very intelligent = no comparison
He is too intelligent for this post = his intelligence is so great that the post is not worthy of him.
It is very bitter = the bitterness is great, yet it can be tasted.
It is too bitter = the bitterness is so great that it cannot be tasted.
Hence in the following sentences, replace too by very :
His health is too good. I am too pleased to meet you. The mother is too happy at her son's success. He is too pure. He writes too neatly. He is too weak : yet he will come. This water is too pure.
But, we have the phrase only too glad (cf. I shall be only to have you here)=very glad and not the reverse; similarly none too pleasant=far from pleasant.
(c) Enough is the opposite of too and means that the proper limit has been just reached. Thus,
I am strong enough to walk = I have as much strength as is necessary for me to walk
Cf. This room is hot enough for me the heat is agreeable to me,- it is as hot as I wish it to be.
This room is too hot for me = so hot that I cannot remain in it.
Five rupees is enough for this = the price is as high as it should be.
Five rupees is too high for this = the price is more than what is proper.
Much, Many
Much denotes quantity but many denotes number, things which can be counted.
The former is followed by the singular; the latter, by the plural as much water, much money,
many rupees, many men.
