When to bet much many a lot of. Many, much, more, a lot of: usage rule

All the words in question are translated in the same way: " a lot of" and are used with nouns. But how do you know which word to use? Many or much? Or a lot of?

We learned from school textbooks that the words many and much are used always and everywhere, regardless of the type of sentence. Therefore, after several years of studying English, for many, the fact that English words many and much are used mainly in interrogative and negative proposals, and statements it is preferable to use a lot (of) , about which we will talk a little bit later.

Dealing with the use of words many and much, it's time to remember about countable and uncountable nouns. To countable items that can be counted. I draw your attention to what cannot be measured, namely count and name them exact amount. Category uncountable belong to nouns denoting something that cannot be counted, but can only be measured. You can learn more about the two categories of nouns.

The choice of the word many or much directly depends on which noun is used with it. If countable, many is used, and if uncountable, then much :

Many houses - many houses
many words - many words
many shirts - many shirts
much information - a lot of information
much clothes - a lot of clothes
much attention - a lot of attention

As mentioned above, many and much are used in questions and negations. Let's start with questions. In questions, many and much are combined with question word how:

How many- how many (if asking about countable nouns)
how much- how many (if asking about uncountable nouns)

How many lessons did you have yesterday? How many lessons did you have yesterday?
How many cups of tea do you drink? - How many cups of tea do you drink?
How much money did you spend yesterday? How much money did you spend yesterday?
How much tea do you drink? - How much tea do you drink?

These questions can be given a specific answer by naming the quantity, or you can answer: "Not a lot": not many or not much. And if you want to answer that there is a lot, then you need to use a lot:

How many cups of tea do you drink? — A lot.
How much tea do you drink? — A lot.

A lot (of) is usually used in affirmative offers. This quantifier can be combined with both countable and uncountable nouns, which makes our task much easier. However, do not forget about the preposition of if next comes noun:

A lot (of) has equivalents. These are lots of and plenty of . They denote a large number and can be used in the same way as a lot of , whether it is a countable noun or not:

Lots of and plenty of are used without an article and correspond in meaning to a lot of. The only difference between these qualifiers is that a lot of and lots of are more colloquial, while plenty of emphasizes sufficiency:

I "ve got plenty of money. - I have a lot (enough) money.
We "ll have plenty of time. - We will have a lot (enough) time.

By the way, the question is often asked whether the verb are can be used in combination with a lot of, because are is the plural, and the article a stands for the singular. If you use a lot of with countable nouns, then the noun will be in plural and, accordingly, the verb are will refer to it, and not to a lot of:

When a lot of is used with uncountable nouns, this question does not arise, since is is used with uncountable nouns:

Let's go back to the words many and much, which are also used in negations. If the sentence contains a negative particle not or another word with negative value, it's better to use many and much rather than a lot of :

He doesn't have many friends. - He doesn't have many friends.
I never eat much in the evening. — I never eat much in the evenings.
They hardly ever spend much money. They rarely spend a lot of money.
I did not see many sights because I did not have much time. I didn't see many sights as I didn't have much time.

To sum up today's lesson: affirmative proposals in the meaning of "a lot" one should use a lot of (or its equivalents), and in negative and interrogative statements, you have to choose between many and much , depending on whether they refer to countable or uncountable nouns.

In this article, we looked at the main uses of the words many and much, in fact, there are many more, including various nuances and exceptions. But this topic deserves a separate and detailed explanation, so we will talk about this in one of our next articles.

Hello people! In this article, we will analyze in detail the rules for using English language words "much", "many" and "a lot of", we will learn 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, a lot, significantly, very much;

Use: is 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 a lot of black paint.

Also, it is usually used in negative (negative) or interrogative (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 formal style is meant.

For example:

There is much concern about genetically modified food in the UK.
In Great Britain the question is acute regarding genetically modified foods.

Many

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

Use: used exclusively with plural countable nouns;

Example:

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

AT denials and issues with countable nouns "many" is also quite common:

how many quail eggs are in this salad?
How 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 a little bottles wine in his own bar. At least he says so.

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

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

A lot of

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

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

Example:

Jack had a lot of peanut butter left in the jar.
Jack has left a lot of peanut pasta 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 are learning Korean because they are into the K-pop music genre.

Table: Difference between much, many and a lot

WORD	Use	Meaning
	countable nouns (plural) / negation + question / affirmation = formal style
	uncountable nouns / negation + question / affirmation = formal style
		more / more
The most	uncountable + countable nouns / adjectives	most of/ most
A lot (of)	uncountable + countable nouns / informal style
lots (of)	uncountable + countable nouns / highly informal style

The basics of English grammar are fairly easy to master. However, for those who aspire to get to the advanced level, a more in-depth study lies ahead. In any language, there are many nuances that require detailed study. One such theme is the use of the word "many". The English translation may vary depending on the context and some other factors. Further, the article describes the various semantic shades of this concept and its translation options.

Quantitative pronouns a lot of, much, many: usage rule

Most often used to express the plural the word many. It is mainly used when referring to countable nouns. Antonym - few.

Many (few) things, people, ideas, thoughts, countries - many (few) things, people, ideas, thoughts, countries.

The concept of "many" in English in combination with uncountable nouns is translated by the word much. opposite meaning- little.

Much (little) luck, energy, time, money - a lot (little) luck, energy, time, money.

A lot of is often used in affirmative sentences. . Also often comes across the phrase lots of .

A lot of time, books, people, friends, ideas - a lot of time, books, people, friends, ideas.

Many and much are used in negation or questioning.

I didn't spend much money. - I didn't spend a lot of money.
Has she got many books? Does she have many books?

In affirmative sentences, the expressions too much and so much are also quite common.

There's too much sugar in the coffee. - There is too much sugar in coffee.
This car costs too much. - This car is too expensive.

As for the basic uses of the words a lot of, it's pretty easy to master. But for more in-depth study This topic should be considered some more aspects.

Set expressions

The main difficulty of set phrases lies in translation, since the understanding of each single word does not always help to comprehend the meaning common phrase. Rules many uses, much, a lot of and other analogues also do not give an exhaustive answer in all cases. Therefore, many such expressions simply need to be memorized.

So, phrases with the word many :

a good/great ~ - quite a lot, decent;
a good ~ times - many times;
a good ~ people - a lot of people;
a great ~ of - many;
as ~ as five years - as many as five years;
in ~ regards / respects - in many respects;
in ~ ways - in a variety of ways;
~ others - a number of others;
~ other things - much more.

Phrases with much :

as ~ as is needful - how much is needed;
as ~ as all that - so much / strongly;
as ~ as to say - is tantamount to / all the same, what to say, as if speaking;
as ~ as possible - as far as possible;
as ~ as practical - maximum;
how~? - how much, what is the price?
however ~ - no matter how much/however;
in so ~ as - since, since;
make ~ of - highly appreciate, be of high opinion;
~ like - akin;
~ of something - most of something;
~ the same - almost the same;
pretty ~ - very, perhaps, to a large extent;
so ~ for - here you have (an expression of indignation, disappointment).

Expressions with words a lot of :

~ red tape - a lot of paperwork, a lot of bureaucratic barriers;
~ practice - abundance of practice;
do ~ walking - walk a lot;
get ~ mileage out of - benefit from;
get ~ play - be in the spotlight;
give ~ thought - spend a lot of time thinking;
get through ~ money - spend a lot of money;
spend ~ time - spend a lot of time.

Other ways to characterize a large number

In addition to the above, "a lot" in English can be expressed in a lot of other ways. When translating, it is very important to take into account the fact whether a countable noun is used in a sentence or not.

The table shows analogues of the above quantitative pronouns:

In spite of wide use in English words a lot of, much, many, the rule of use is not limited to well-known vocabulary. AT fiction there are original ways of conveying a concept that implies a large number. Here are some examples of figurative expressions:

He has pots of money. - He's got a lot of money.
I have a bunch of stuff. - I have a lot of things.
Investigator has a mountain of evidence. - The investigator is full of (mountains) evidence.
There is an ocean of flowers in my garden. - There is an ocean of flowers in my garden.

Practical part

One of better ways to fix theoretical material in practice - work with exercises. Here is an example of one of the tasks. main part practical material you can find in the corresponding topics of grammar books.

Exercise : translate into English using the words a lot of, much, many (the usage rule is described above).

How many children are in your school?
My car uses a lot of gasoline.
Don't disturb her. She has lots of work.
I can't eat this soup. It has too much salt in it.
Anna has many friends.

Answer :

How many children are there in your school?
My car uses a lot of petrol.
Don "t disturb her. She" s got a lot of work to do.
I can't eat this soup. There's too much salt in it.
Ann has many friends.

To make learning as effective as possible, new vocabulary in their oral and written speech. One of the common mistakes made by beginners is trying to memorize a list of words without further use in conversation.

This method will help to enrich only the passive vocabulary. That is, when you meet this vocabulary in a book or hear it in a conversation with a native English speaker, you will understand what it is about. However, in order to be able to express your own thoughts with these words, new expressions must become an integral part of your vocabulary.

One of best practices is as follows: select a few phrases, come up with 5-10 sentences with each of them and try to speak in the near future in foreign language include them in your speech. This will allow you to naturally get used to the new way of thinking and communicating information.

To denote a large number of something or someone in English, quantitative are used. Both are translated into Russian by the word "many". The question arises: if the meaning is the same, why are two different pronouns needed? It turns out that this makes sense, since each of them has its own scope.

Difference between many and much

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

For example, in the sentence "There are many animals in the zoo", the noun "animals" is countable. Here it is used in the plural. In English, the sentence would sound like this: “There are many animals in the zoo».

It would be nice to go around all the cages and count all the animals that live in them! There are many things in the zoo and who can be counted. For example, tigers, elephants, bears, monkeys, and the cells themselves in which they live. Translated into English, it would look like this: many tigers, many elephants, many bears, many monkeys, many cages".

While you were counting the inhabitants of the zoo, it was time for lunch, and food was brought to the animals. Lots of food: meat, fruits, milk. And more water to drink. Is it possible to count what is in the feeders of animals? No. Therefore, the words that denote such objects are called.

So, when translating into English, you need to use the second pronoun. The phrases in this case will look like this: much food, much meat, much milk, much water".

If you remember this difference, then you will never get confused with the use

All words that come after the pronoun much are used in the singular.

Incidentally, in our mother tongue the same thing happens. People don't say "a lot of meat", "a lot of food" (sounds funny, right?). Uncountable nouns in Russian grammar also have the form singular after the word "a lot", for example: "a lot of meat", "a lot of food." Here we have a direct similarity with the English language.

affirmative sentences

In modern English, in affirmative sentences, instead of the pronouns much and many, their synonym is increasingly used a lot of.

This is a universal pronoun, as it is suitable for animate nouns - a lot of people and inanimate - a lot of books, for countables - a lot of minutes and uncountable - a lot of time.

In those speech situations, when you find it difficult to choose between many and much, use a lot of - you can't go wrong.

For example: " A lot of children came to the zoo to see a new-born polar bear". “A lot of kids came to the zoo to see the newborn polar bear cub.”

The pronouns many and much are often included in the subject, for example:

There are many candles on the fireplace shelf. - There are a lot of candles on the mantelpiece.
There is much soup in the pan. - There is a lot of soup in the pot.

In these sentences, many and much can easily be replaced by a lot of, and the meaning of the sentences will not change.

In interrogative and negative sentences, as a rule, the pronouns much and many are used.

Interrogative sentences

In the first place in the proposal is How many(how much, how much), followed by a countable.

For example:

How many tulips are there in the vase?
How many tulips are in the vase?

How many children do you have?
How many children do you have?

With expression how much(how many, how many) word order is the same as in the case of How many. In the question, it comes first, and then follows uncountable noun in the singular.

For example:

how much salt do you take in your salad?
How much salt do you put in your salad?
how much money do you need to be happy?
How much money do you need to be happy?

In Russian, we say: a lot of money, a lot of sweets, a lot of effort, a lot of cars, etc. In all these phrases, we use one word. In English, there are words much, many and a lot, which are translated as "a lot". But they are used in different ways.

Many

Pronunciation and translation:

Many [ˈmeni] / [meni] - a lot

Meaning of the word:
A large number of objects or people

Use:
We use many we can count. For example: many people, many trees, many books, many years.

Example:

Bill doesn't have many friends.
Bill doesn't have many friends.

Did he win many competitions?
Has he won many competitions?

Much

Pronunciation and translation:
Much [ˈmʌtʃ] / [mach] - a lot

Meaning of the word:
A large number of

Use:
We use much when we talk about something we can't count. For example: a lot of water, a lot of time, a lot of money, a lot of work.

Example:

You drink too much coffee.
You drink too much coffee.

She doesn't have much money.
She doesn't have much money.

A lot

Pronunciation and translation:

A lot / [lot] - a lot

Meaning of the word:
A large number of

Use:
We use a lot with both what we can count and what we cannot count. A lot is a less formal word and much more commonly used in spoken English. For example: a lot of friends, a lot of money, a lot of opportunities, a lot of candy.

Example:

We had a lot of furniture.
We had a lot of furniture

We waste a lot of time.
We're wasting a lot of time.

What is the difference?

We use many when we speak about something we can count. For example: many houses, many birds, many telephones, many countries.

We use much when we speak about something we can't count. For example: a lot of freedom, a lot of time, a lot of money, a lot of garbage.

many and much are formal words. In spoken English, they are used most often in questions and negative sentences. Also often they used after words too(too) and so (so). In written and formal speech, much and many can be used in all sentences (affirmative, negative, interrogative).

We use a lot and with the fact that we can count with what we can't count. A lot is a less formal word and much more commonly used in spoken English.

Reinforcement task

Paste Right words in the following suggestions. Leave your answers in the comments.

1. Not many animals live in this forest.
2. She spends too much money.
3. He needs to read so many books over the weekend.
4. She invited many friends to the party.
5. They brought a lot of fruit.
6. He has so much work to do.
7. Do you have many dresses?
8. She can eat a lot of sweets.