Difference Between So Much and Too Much

So Much vs Too Much

So much and too much are two expressions that are often confused when it comes to their usage. The expression ‘so much’ is used in the sense of ‘such a high’ or ‘to such an extent’ as in the sentences:

1. The children made so much of noise in the classroom that it disturbed the teacher.

2. He loved her so much that he sacrificed everything for her.

In the first sentence, the expression ‘so much’ is used in the sense of ‘such a high’ and hence, the meaning of the first sentence would be ‘the children made such a high noise in the classroom that it disturbed the teacher. In the second sentence, the expression ‘so much’ is used in the sense of to such an extent’ and hence, the meaning of the sentence would be ‘he loved her to such an extent that he sacrificed everything for her.

On the other hand, the expression ‘too much’ is used in the sense of ‘excessively’ or ‘more than what is needed’ as in the sentences:

1. He spoke too much during the meeting.

2. He was talking too much in the class.

In the first sentence, the word ‘too much’ is used in the sense of ‘more than what is needed’ and hence, the meaning of the sentence would be ‘he spoke more that what is needed during the meeting’, and in the second sentence the word ‘too much’ is used in the sense of ‘excessively’, and hence, the meaning of the sentence would be ‘he was talking excessively in the class’.

It is interesting to note that the usages of these two expressions are often interchanged though there is difference between them. The expression ‘too much’ is often used as an adverb.