# EN: too <adjective> a/an <noun>



## lilly07

Bonjour !

Ma prof d'anglais a traduit l'expression "elle a une vision trop parfaite" de cette manière (en nous précisant que c'était un "idiom" anglais) :
"she has too perfect a vision".
Est ce correct ? Ne serait-ce pas plus juste de dire "she has a vision too perfect" ?

Merci d'avance pour vos réponses 

*Note des modérateurs :* Plusieurs fils ont été fusionnés pour créer celui-ci.


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## Oddmania

[...] Salut Lilly07,

En anglais, les choses se compliquent quand il faut qualifier un nom avec un adjectif (_perfect_) et également un adverbe (_too_). Ce genre de phrase requiert une tournure particulière.

....Her vision is _too _perfect → it's too perfect (of) a vision → c'est une vision trop parfaite. 

....This deal isn't _that _big (ici, _that _est un adverbe) → it's not that big (of) a deal → ce n'est pas une affaire si important que ça (_not that_ + [adj.] : _pas tant _[adj] _que ça_). 

....This market isn't big _enough _→ it's not enough big (of) a market → ce n'est pas un marché suffisamment important. 

....She's not really acting like a girlfriend → she's not much (of) a girlfriend → elle n'a rien d'une petite amie (= elle n'agit pas comme s'il était ma copine).
.


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## Pierre Simon

Oddmania said:


> This market isn't big _enough _→ it's not enough big (of) a market.



Hullo Oddmania,

I'm afraid that your example is incorrect and likely to confuse.  The word order needs to be changed :

'It's not *a big enough *market'


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## Oddmania

I knew there was something strange with this one!  How come things are different with _enough_? Is it because _enough _comes after the adjective (unlike_ not that big_ and _too perfect_?) I've googled_ "a too perfect vision"_ (following your example with _a big enough market_) and I've actually got some results too : _"Jessica Holmes' flimsy, immaculate works draw on the traditions of Dutch still life to create *a too-perfect vision* of landscape". _(instead of _"to create too perfect a vision"_).

I don't know what to think anymore!


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## Pierre Simon

Hullo Oddmania  

Coming back to Lilly's question, although her English teacher's translation of "elle a une vision trop parfaite" is ok, I don't particularly like the use of an adverb of degree ('slightly', 'somewhat', 'very', 'extremely', etc.,) with the adjective 'perfect'.  Yes, one can find examples of _'too perfect'_, just as one can find examples of _'extremely unique' _or _'completely circular'.  _It's only a personal opinion, but I dislike _'too perfect' _and would recommend that the expression be avoided.


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## Maître Capello

Hello,

The question about whether or not "too perfect" is acceptable goes beyond the scope of this thread. Besides, we had a similar discussion here: EN/FR: very magnificent / très magnifique [sic].

Therefore please restrict the current discussion to the placement of _too_ + adjective.

Thank you for your understanding.

Maître Capello
Moderator


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## CapnPrep

Oddmania said:


> Pierre Simon said:
> 
> 
> 
> The word order needs to be changed :
> 
> 'It's not *a big enough *market'
> 
> 
> 
> […] How come things are different with _enough_?
Click to expand...

Actually, you can also say _big enough a market_, so it's not that different from _that big _or _too perfect_.

As for lilly07's example, I don't think I would use _*a* vision_ (which I'm assuming refers to eyesight), so _too perfect a vision_ sounds bad to me.


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## LaKapsule

Bonjour,

Je suis tombé sur une phrase comme celle-ci :



> Mistake is too strong a word.



Ce qui doit se traduire, je suppose, par _*Erreur est un mot trop fort*_ ( j'aurais dû utiliser un mot moins fort ). J'ai pensé au début que la construction de cette phrase était fautive, mais apparemment elle ne l'est pas ( ? ). Ce que je ne comprends pas ici c'est la place de l'article. J'ai plus l'habitude de ce type de construction : _*A strong word*_ ou _*A big place*_ etc. Cela dit, je ne me rappelle pas avoir déjà vu ce type de construction _*A too strong word*_. Peut-être y a-t-il une règle ici qui s'applique et qui m'échappe ? Si oui, laquelle ?


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## Enquiring Mind

Hello LK, this grammar point is explained here - "too strong a word / a too strong word", see especially post #7 by Mr Bones:


Mr Bones said:


> I consulted a fantastic book, _Practical English Usage, by Michael Swan,_ which explains it quite well:
> 
> Normally adjectives go after the article a/an. But after _as, how, too _and _this/that _meaning _so,_ adjectives goes before _a/an. _This structure is common in a formal style.
> 
> _I have *as good a voice as* you.
> *How good a pianist* is he?
> She is *too polite a person* to refuse._
> 
> It also provides other examples, but I'm too lazy a man to type them.


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## LaKapsule

Hello,

Je n'avais pas cherché dans le dictionnaire anglais. Shame on me !

Merci.


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## jack59

a vivid imagination: une imagination débordante. So, "you've got a too vivid imagination"could be the right sentence. Why is it written "you've got too vivid an imagination" 

_I think your problem with flying is that you’ve seen too much television and *you’ve got too vivid an imagination*. You focus far too much on the negative aspects of air travel rather than the positive ones._


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## Jim in Phila

"Too vivid an imagination" here means "overactive / _hyperactive_."


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## moustic

jack59 said:


> Why is it written "you've got too vivid an imagination"?


That is the correct structure. See this previous thread for too [adjective] a(n) [noun].


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