To Fast or Too Fast? Grammar Explained (Helpful Examples)

You’ll often find people mistakenly using “to” and “too” in the wrong contexts. This isn’t ideal, so it’s a good thing to learn the differences quickly. This article will help you to understand the differences between “too fast” and “to fast.”

Is It To Fast or Too Fast?

You should only ever use “too fast.” It’s the correct form because it allows “too” to modify “fast.” “Too” is an adverb, so we know it works when modifying adjectives. “To” is a preposition, which does not work when modifying adjectives, so “to fast” is never correct.

to or too fast

Check out these examples to see how “too fast” works:

  • Correct: You’re doing it too fast! You’re not allowing yourself to savor the moment.
  • Incorrect: If I’m going to fast, let me know! I’ll slow myself down to help you out.

“Too” is the adverbial form, so it works well to modify the adjective “fast.” You can use this form with the double “O’s” whenever you want to emphasize “fast.”

“To” is only a preposition. It has no relevance when it comes to modifying an adjective, so it should be ignored.

To Fast

“To fast” should never be used. “To” is a preposition, which you cannot use whenever you want to modify an adjective like “fast.” It does not allow you to emphasize the meaning of the word.

  • Correct: I think it’s going too fast! If it doesn’t slow down soon, I’m pretty sure it’s going to cause a nasty accident.
  • Incorrect: You don’t have to do it to fast! You can slow it down and really take it in if you’d like to.
  • Correct: Too fast! Too fast! Please slow down! I don’t want to be sick, but I feel like I’m about to be!
  • Incorrect: If it’s going to fast, just let me know. I’m still trying to adjust the processing speeds to make it as efficient as possible.
  • Correct: It’s a bit too fast, but I’m sure I’ll get used to that. I just need some time to practice with it.
  • Incorrect: He was driving to fast, which is why we decided to pull him over. It’s for his own good.

Too Fast

“Too fast” is the only correct form. It’s grammatically correct because it features an adverb (too) modifying an adjective (fast). Adverbs are designed to modify adjectives in this way. “Too” works by emphasizing the meaning of “fast.”

When using “too fast,” it means that something is going at an excessive speed. The speed is almost too much for someone or something to handle.

  1. He’s running way too fast for me to be able to catch up with him! I suppose I should let him have this victory.
  2. I think you’re driving too fast! Please, slow down! I don’t know whether I can stay in this car with you if you’re going to be so reckless.
  3. Can we not go too fast next time? I want to make sure that I can take in the scenery, but you always plow through the landscape.
  4. It’s too fast! You need to find a way to slow it down before we can take it to our investors.
  5. This game goes too fast, and I can’t keep up with any of the instructions they provide me. How do I slow it down?

Why Do People Tend To Spell It Wrong?

Don’t worry if you’re spelling it wrong yourself. Even native speakers can mess it up sometimes because of how similar “to” and “too” sound when pronounced aloud. It’s common for people to mistake them because of what they hear when they are both said.

How To Remember If The Correct Spelling Is “To Fast” or “Too Fast”

Perhaps you’d benefit from a quick tip to help you remember the difference!

“Too” is correct when modifying an adjective. “Too” means “an excessive amount,” and saying “too fast” implies that something is moving far too quickly to handle. “Too” also contains an excessive amount of “O’s,” so you should always remember to spell it with two “O’s” rather than one.

Final Thoughts

You can only use “too fast” when you want to intensify the adjective. “Too” is an adverbial form, so it’s the only one that makes sense whenever you want to emphasize how “fast” something is. “To” is only a preposition, so it does not make sense to modify “fast.”

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