too+ adjective+noun word order

[Iwonags]

Hello all,
I have always thought that the "natural order" of such a phrase would be:
a too punitive interest rate.

However, quite often I can find in the papers the order too+adj+noun phrase, namely:
too punitive an interest rate.

Can anybody explain the difference (or the reasons for changing the WO)?

Regards.

 

[Tegs]

Well, in English you can't have the article before the word 'too' - so, if you find yourself starting to write "a too...", you need to restructure your sentence :

too big a house - not "a too big house"
too small a loan - not "a too small loan"

I hope that helps.

 

[Iwonags]

Thanks Tegs,
I wasn't aware of this. Does it then mean that
too many expensive houses
and
a house too expensive?

 

[ouzhantekin]

I guess "too many expensive houses" work well but that "too" has nothing to do with the degree of being expensive.. It directly refers to the number of the expensive houses. And the second sentence, I think, should be "too expensive a house" ...

 

[Tegs]

I guess "too many expensive houses" work well but that "too" has nothing to do with the degree of being expensive.. It directly refers to the number of the expensive houses. And the second sentence, I think, should be "too expensive a house" ...

Both these points are correct

too many expensive houses = too many houses (which are expensive), not houses which are too expensive (and number many)

And "too expensive a house" is correct

 

[Iwonags]

Thank you for your time! It's all clear now.