Select the correct option: The analyst found the correlation to be marginal to influence policy.

Question

Select the correct option:

The analyst found the correlation to be marginal to influence policy.

1. A. too (Correct answer)
2. B. very
3. C. so
4. D. as

Correct Answer

Option A — too

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is too.

Key Points

• The structure too + adjective + to-infinitive expresses an excess that prevents something: the correlation was too marginal *to influence* policy.
• Very intensifies without implying prevention, so "very marginal to influence policy" is ungrammatical here.
• So would need a following *that*-clause ("so marginal that it could not influence policy"), and as requires a comparative pairing.

Additional Information

• The distinction to hold on to: too = more than is acceptable, always carrying a negative consequence; very = simply a high degree, neutral in effect.
• Related patterns: enough + to-infinitive ("clear enough to act on"), and so … that for result.
• Note that *too* placed before an adjective is not interchangeable with *very* even when the sentence sounds acceptable — the presence of a following infinitive is the reliable signal.