ESEN
Which one to use?Beginneradverbadverb
ToovsAlso
'Too' and 'as well' go at the end of the sentence; 'also' goes before the main verb.
Side-by-side comparison
Too
adverbAll three mean "also", but they go in different positions in the sentence. "Also" goes before the main verb or after the auxiliary. "Too" and "as well" go at the end.
I love Italian food. My sister does too, we often go to the same restaurant together.
Can I have a coffee? I would like a slice of cake as well, please.
"I did not get an invitation." "I did not get one either, maybe it got lost in the post."
Also
adverb"Also" is the most formal of the three. "As well" is neutral. "Too" is the most informal and conversational. In everyday speech, "too" is the most common.
She also speaks Japanese, which surprised everyone at the interview last week.
He also mentioned that the café closes early on Sundays, so we should go in the morning.
The hotel is also very close to the beach, it is just a five-minute walk from the door.
Common mistake
Three most common errors:
- 1.ALSO at the end sounds stiff: "She speaks Spanish also", prefer "She speaks Spanish too" or "as well."
- 2."I don't want one too" = wrong in negatives, use EITHER: "I don't want one EITHER."
- 3.ALSO at the end after the object: "She completed the report also" sounds odd. ALSO goes before the main verb: "She ALSO completed the report."
Trick to remember it
Position trick: END of affirmative sentence = TOO or AS WELL. MIDDLE (before main verb) = ALSO. End of negative sentence = EITHER. Register: TOO = informal/neutral. AS WELL = neutral/slightly British. ALSO = slightly more formal, more common in writing.
Quick rule
Too / As well = at the end of the affirmative sentence. Also = before the main verb. In negative sentences: always EITHER at the end (not "too" or "also" in negatives).
Did you know?
The #MeToo social movement (2017) leveraged precisely the colloquial and direct form of "me too", which in colloquial English functions as an affirmative response of solidarity. The grammatically complete version would be "I do too" or "So do I" (with subject + auxiliary + too), but "me too" has become so conventionalized that it is accepted as a response to any positive statement. Part of the hashtag's power was that "me too" is the most direct and immediate solidarity expression in English, two words that every English speaker understands instantly.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
She speaks French and she speaks Italian _____ .
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
He _____ ordered dessert. He can never resist the chocolate cake.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
EithervsNeither
'Either' refers to one of two (any one); 'neither' refers to neither of the two.
MuchvsMany
"Much" is used with uncountable nouns (things that cannot be counted individually); "many" is used with countable nouns in the plural.
NovsNot
"No" directly negates a noun (there is none); "not" negates verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and entire clauses.
AvsAn
'A' is used before consonant sounds; 'an' is used before vowel sounds.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy