Hello Friends! How not to get confused when using much and many? Just pay attention to the rules of use, because it was no coincidence that the British came up with two words with the same meaning.

They are not interchangeable: in some cases you will only need much, and in others only many. Here everything depends on the word itself, which will refer to much or many. Let's figure out what's what!

Difference between many and much

Pronoun many used in cases where it refers to objects (animate or inanimate) that can be counted. Words denoting such things are called countable nouns.

• many children - many children
• many people - a lot of people
• many tigers - many tigers

we use many(since they can be counted)

Pronoun Much used only with nouns that cannot be counted, that is, with uncountable nouns.

• much sugar (a lot of sugar)
• much water (a lot of water)
• much money (a lot of money)

we use much(since they cannot be counted. Much means large number anything.)

Let's look at the table that will clearly show you the difference in using Much, Many

Many used where objects can be counted individually.
If they cannot be counted, feel free to insert the word into the sentence much.

Interrogative sentences

• How much sugar do you take in your coffee?
  How much sugar do you put in your coffee?
• How much money do you want for this?
  How much (money) do you want for it?
• Do you have much work to do?
  Do you have a lot of work?
• How many students are there in each class?
  How many students are in each class?
• How many people are you expecting?
  How many people are you expecting?

Negative sentences

• He doesn’t earn much money (the noun money is uncountable).
  He earns little (= little) money.
• Not many people have heard of her (people noun - countable).
  Few have heard of her.
• Barbara doesn't have many friends.
  Barbara has few (= not many) friends.

MUCH or MANY or A LOT OF?

Exercises on the topic much / many:

Exercise 1. Use much or many to express How many...?.

1. How...days?
2. How...sugar?
3. How... cigarettes?
4. How...work?
5. How...petrol?
6. How...children?
7. How... theaters?
8. How...juice?

Exercise 2. Translate the sentences into English using much, many, a little, a few, little, few, a lot of

1. I don't have many friends in this part of town.
2. The teacher said so many words, but I didn’t understand anything.
3. He asked the waiter to bring some water.
4. In autumn, many birds fly south.
5. She doesn't like it when there is too much sugar in her tea.
6. “There is absolutely no space in the closet! You have so many clothes!”

Exercise 3. Use much or many.

Do you drink ________coffee? I like reading. I read _________ books. We have _______ lessons of English this year. I can’t remember _______ from this text. Do you learn _______ new English words every day? We haven’t got ________ bread. I can't spend ________ money on toys.

Answers

Exercise 1.

1. How many days? (How many days?)
2. How much sugar? (How much sugar?)
3. How many cigarettes? (How many cigarettes?)
4. How much work? (How much work?)
5. How much petrol? (How much gasoline?)
6. How many children? (How many children?)
7. How many theaters? (How many theaters?)
8. How much juice? (How much juice?)

Exercise 2.

1. I have few friends in this part of the city.
2. A teacher said so many words but I understood nothing.
3. He asked a waiter to bring a little water.
4. In autumn many birds fly to the south.
5. She doesn’t like it when there is too much sugar in tea.
6. “There is no place in a wardrobe! You’ve got so many clothes!”

Exercise 3.

Do you drink much coffee? I like reading. I read many books. We have many lessons of English this year. I can't remember much from this text. Do you learn many new English words every day? We haven't got much bread. I can't spend much money on toys.

Friends, give us a like, we tried!

Those who learn English often have difficulty using many/much/more/alotof. The rule, however, clearly separates these expressions. Remember a few key points and you will never be confused.

Depending on the noun

All three expressions can be translated as “many, large number.” The difference is grammatical meaning. Let's consider when to bet much/many/a lot of. The rule (table below) sounds like this:

• Many is used before countable nouns (things can be counted).

A large number of handles -manypens, a large number of plates -manyplates, a lot of apples -manyapples.

• Much is used before uncountable nouns (anything that cannot be counted - liquids, gases, materials, abstract concepts, etc.)

A large amount of bread -muchbread, a lot of advice -muchadvice, a lot of time -muchtime.

Don't be confused: manycupsofcoffee-muchcoffee (many cups of coffee - a lot of coffee),manyloavesofbread -muchbread (many loaves of bread - a large amount of bread). Here many refers to the portion, not the substance.

• A lot of is used before countable and uncountable nouns.

Manysalt- a lot of salt, a lotpencils- a lot of pencils.

You can often hear the expression lots of. It is equivalent to a lot of, but is used in a conversational style.

She has got a lot of books/She has got lots of books. - UherThere ismany(a lot, weight) books.

The rules for using much/many/a lot of do not end there. The type of sentence in which these words are used also plays an important role.

Depending on the type of offer

• put in affirmative sentences;

There are a lot of oranges on the table. - Ontableliesmanyoranges.

I have got a lot of relatives. - UmeThere ismanyrelatives.

• the construction is not typical for interrogative and negative sentences;

How many pens has she bought today? - How manypenssheTodaybought?

Thereisn'ttmuchmilkinthefridge. - There's not much milk in the refrigerator.

• used in all types of sentences;

There are many trees in the garden. - INgardengrowingmanytrees.

Are there many trees in the garden? - A lotwhetherVgardentrees?

There aren't many trees in the garden. - INgardenNotSoreallyAnda lot of trees.

• the only acceptable option for a formal style; in this case a lot of is not used, for uncountable nouns It is also advisable to find synonymous constructions (for example, alargeamountof).

• used in interrogative and negative sentences;

Do you gain much knowledge at school? - Do you acquire a lot of knowledge at school?

• not typical for affirmative sentences - the exception is constructions toomuch,somuch(too much);

I usually drink a lot of lemonade. - UsuallyII drinkmanylemonade.

Yesterday I drank too much lemonade. - Yesterday I drank too much lemonade.

The question “How much...?” translated “How much does it cost...?” This is a stable expression, and after it feel free to use countable and uncountable nouns.

How much are these gloves?- How much do these gloves cost?

Exercises

We have looked at the main cases of using much/many/a lot of. The rule for which you will now perform the exercises is quite simple. It's time to consolidate the material covered. Insert the appropriate word into the sentence (variants are possible).

1. Anna has got _ dresses. - Anna has a lot of dresses.
2. It takes too -_ time. - It will take too much time.
3. There is -_ apple juice in the refrigerator. You don’t need to go to the supermarket. - There's a lot in the refrigerator apple juice. You don't need to go to the store.
4. There isn't _ time left. - There is not much time left.
5. I have heard _ good news today. - I heard a lot of good news today.
6. I can’t eat this dessert! You have put too _ sugar in it. - I can't eat this dessert! You put too much sugar in it.
7. There are too _ people here. Let's go to the garden! - There are too many people here. Let's go to the garden!
8. How _ are these scissors? - How much do these scissors cost?

1. many/a lot of;
2. much;
3. a lot of;
4. much;
5. a lot of;
6. much;
7. many;
8. much.

If you make a mistake, repeat the rule again. Now let's look at the use of the word more.

Using more

Comparative degree of adverbs many/much conveyed by word more. It is used before countables and uncountable names nouns.

There is much water in the saucepan. Youdon'tneedtoaddmorewater. - There’s already a lot of water in the pan. You don't need to add water.

There aren't many pears on the table. You should have bought more pears. - OntableA littlepears. You should have bought more pears.

To emphasize the degree of comparison, the pronouns many/much are added to more (for countable and uncountable nouns, respectively). This is no longer an adverb, but a pronoun! Is there a difference between the expressions many more/much more - a lot of? The rule does not strictly separate them - from a grammatical point of view they are interchangeable. But there is a slight tint in lexical meaning. A lot of means “large quantity”. Many more/much more is translated as “much more”, “much more”.

Compare:

He managed to earn a lot of money. - He managed to earn a lot of money.

He earned much more money than he had planned. - He earned much more money than he planned.

She waited many days for her letter to be delivered. - She waited many days for her letter to be delivered.

They promised to deliver the letter in a week, but in fact she had to wait many more days. - They promised to deliver the letter in a week, but in fact she had to wait much longer.

Substitute many more/much more/a lot of into the following sentences. The rule is simple - focus on countable and uncountable items. Context will help you choose the right shade of meaning.

1. There are _ CDs on the shelf. - There are a large number of CDs on the shelf.
2. She has got _ rings than her friend has. - She has a lot more rings than her friend.
3. He has bought _ milk than it was needed. - He bought much more milk than required.
4. She had _ knowledge than we expected. “Her knowledge far exceeded our expectations.”

Now you know when to use many/much/more/a lot of. The rule can be reduced to two key points: Consider the features of the noun and the type of sentence.

What's the difference between a lot of and lots of English?

Here you can find out what the difference is between English phrases a lot of and lots of.

The main function of the phrases a lot of and lots of is to indicate a large number of someone or something. These phrases can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns. Both of them are translated as "many, large number".

Despite external differences, big difference in meaning there is no between them. Let's look at an example:

He's bought a lot of f lowers for her. = He’s bought lots of flowers for her. - He bought a lot of flowers for her.

It is believed that a lot of sounds a little more formal than lots of. The phrase lots of is better suited for informal settings. Although the difference is actually very small.

Some students wonder if it is possible to use a lot of and lots of in questions and negatives. Answer: of course, you can, but still a lot of and lots of It’s more common to see it in affirmative sentences. In questions and negatives, the words much/many are more often used.

This is a convention confirmed by some grammatical sources, but there will be no error if you use a lot of and lots of in all types of sentences, especially the construction of lots of. It is more common in colloquial speech and goes better with uncountable nouns.
Let's look at a few more examples:

I don’t have lots of patience to deal with her, do you? “I don’t have that much patience to mess with her, do you?”
Billy gave her lots of money to buy some new clothes. - Billy gave her a lot of money so she could buy new clothes.
Have you eaten lots of fruit? -Have you eaten a lot of fruit?
They didn't have a lot of choices indeed. - They really had little choice.

The form a lot can be used independently to mean "very, quite often". For example:
I attend the gym a lot. - I go to the gym quite often.
Do you like daffodils? A lot. - Do you like daffodils? Yes, very much.

What is the difference between the expressions a lot, a lot of And lots of (many, many) and when should you use them?

• Answer

So, Manuel, a learner of English from Spain, wants to know the difference between a lot of, lots of and quite simply, a lot. The first point to make here is that English can be more or less formal and lots of is just a more conversational form of a lot of. So you could say or write:

Well, Manuel, a Spaniard, is learning English and wants to know the difference between a lot of, lots of and, quite simply, a lot. The first thing to note here is that English can be more or less formal, and lots of is simply a colloquial form of expression a lot of. So, you can say or write:

There are a lot of people over there.

There many people.

Or you could say:

Or you can say:

There are lots of people over there.

There many people.

The last one "s chattier - it"s less formal. And that"s an easy way to remember it, I think.

The last example is more conversational - it is less formal. And that way I think it's easy to remember.

Grammatically speaking, a lot of or lots of is used before a noun,

If we talk about grammar, then a lot of or lots of used before a noun

There are a lot of people

Here many people

or what we call a "noun phrase" - a group of words that serves as a noun. Now, can you spot the noun phrase in this sentence?

or before a so-called “compound noun” - a group of words that acts as a noun. Can you identify the compound noun in this sentence?

There are a lot of Spanish people living in London.

There are many Spaniards living in London.

And the noun phrase is, : There are a lot of Spanish people living in London.

The compound noun here is – Spanish people living in London: Lives in London many Spaniards.

A lot, or for that matter, lots without of, is used in answers. If the question is, "Are there many Spanish people living in London?" the answer will be:

A lot or just lots without of, used in replies. If the question is: “Are there many Spaniards living in London?”, the answer would be:

Yes, a lot.

Yes, many.

Or if you want to sound chattier, more conversational:

Or, if you want to say it more casually, more colloquially:

Yes, lots.

Yes, many.

Things to do, however, get a bit more complicated in the question and the negative. If a noun is countable, in a negative or question, we normally use many instead of a lot.

However, with questions and denials the situation is more complicated. If the noun is countable, in negation or question we usually use many instead of a lot.

Are there many British tourists in Spain?

Are there many British tourists in Spain?

There aren't many Spanish tourists in Outer Mongolia.

There are few Spanish tourists in Outer Mongolia.

But if a noun is uncountable - that"s a mass noun like food or money or love- we use much.

But if the noun is uncountable - that is, denoting some mass, substance, like food, or money, or Love– we use much.

I haven't got much money.

I don't have much money.

Is there much food in the fridge?

Is there a lot of food in the refrigerator?

To finish then, another quick test. Which of these three sentences is grammatically okay?

To sum it up, one more quick test. Which of these three sentences is grammatically correct?

a) I haven't got much money, but I've got much love.
b) I "ve got much money but I haven"t got much love.
c) I haven't got much money but I've got a lot of love.

And the answer is c) I haven't got much money but I've got a lot of love. So if you got that, well done!

And the answer is c) I have little money, but a lot of love ( denial, much/affirmation, a lot of) . So if you get it, great!

Hello, people! In this article, we will analyze in detail the rules for using the words “much”, “many” and “a lot of” in English, find out the differences between them, discuss the nuances of using them in speech, and also show examples for clarity.

Much

Translation and transcription: much - a lot, very, quite a lot, significantly, very much;

Use: used in a sentence when we mean a large number of uncountable nouns, i.e. those that cannot be counted individually;

Example:

There is much black paint left in the garage.
Left in the garage many black paint.

Also usually used in negative or interrogative sentences:

Chris does not have much change. Only a few five dollar bills.
Chris doesn't have much money to change. Just a few five dollar bills.

In affirmative sentences, "much" is sometimes used when a more formal and official style is implied.

For example:

There is much concern about genetically modified food in the UK.
In the UK the question is urgent regarding genetically modified food products.

Many

Transcription and translation: like “much”, “many” ["menɪ] is translated as “many”;

Use: used exclusively with countable nouns in plural;

Example:

However, despite many efforts many problems remain unsolved.
However, despite significant efforts, many problems remain unresolved.

IN denials And issues“many” also occurs quite often with countable nouns:

How many quail eggs are in this salad?
How many quail eggs in this salad?

Anthony does not have many bottles of wine in his own private bar. At least that"s what he"s saying.
Anthony's A little bottles wine in his own bar. At least that's what he says.

Can be used in affirmative suggestion when you need a shade formalities.

There were many scientific articles taken into account to make a decision.
It was taken into account many scientific articles to make a decision.

A lot of

Transcription and translation: the meaning of “a lot of” [ə lɔt ɔf] is similar to “much” and “many” and implies the same translation - a lot;

Use: used with both plural and uncountable nouns, mainly in colloquial and informal speech.

Example:

Jack had a lot of peanut butter left in the jar.
Jack has left many peanut pastes in the bank.

The equivalent of "a lot of" is " lots of"(an even more informal form).

Lots of teenagers learn Korean because they are into k-pop.
Many teenagers They study Korean because they are interested in the K-pop music genre.