Why use 'all' here?

Share on Facebook

AVim

#440142 Thu, 08 Nov 07 09:31 AM

"It is all too easy to blame the railway authorities when something does go wrong."

I think it is fine if we omit the 'all'. Right?

What's the function of the 'all' here?

AVim

Joined on Sat, Nov 4 2006

China

Junior Member (91)

Forgiving my poor English and correcting me unmercifully :)

Vorpar

#440156 Thu, 08 Nov 07 10:28 AM

It adds more emphasis to "too easy". We can't say "~~more too easy~~" or "~~too easier~~", so we say "all too easy".

Vorpar

Joined on Tue, Sep 20 2005

Santa Barbara, CA

Regular Member (830)

Marius Hancu

#440170 Thu, 08 Nov 07 10:56 AM

Vorpar wrote:
It adds more emphasis to "too easy". We can't say "~~more too easy~~" or "~~too easier~~", so we say "all too easy".

But we could say "just too easy," I guess?

Marius Hancu

Joined on Wed, Apr 26 2006

Montreal, Canada

Veteran Member (11,673)

Philip

#440430 Fri, 09 Nov 07 01:36 AM

Marius Hancu wrote:
Vorpar wrote:
It adds more emphasis to "too easy". We can't say "~~more too easy~~" or "~~too easier~~", so we say "all too easy".

But we could say "just too easy," I guess?

Yes, that works as well. I don't it carries the punch that "all" does.

Philip

Joined on Thu, Jun 23 2005

USA Pacific Northwest (Seattle)

Veteran Member (6,283)

At reise er at leve! - H. C. Andersen