A lot, many and much
How to choose between a lot, many and much
These three words have the same meaning but different usage. Which word to use depends on two factors:
- on the noun — is it countable or uncountable
- on the type of sentence — is it positive or negative / question
| Positive | Negative and question | |
|---|---|---|
| Uncountable noun |
a lot of We have a lot of food. |
much I don't have much time. |
| Countable plural noun |
a lot of / many I have a lot of (or many) friends on Facebook. |
a lot of / many I haven't got a lot of (or many) friends on Facebook. |
How much and How many
To ask about the quantity of something we say:
- How much…? — if the noun is uncountable
- How many…? — if the noun is countable
Examples
{mp3}/files/mp3/a-lot-much-many/1.mp3{/mp3}How much time do you need?
{mp3}/files/mp3/a-lot-much-many/2.mp3{/mp3}How much money do you pay for the Internet?
{mp3}/files/mp3/a-lot-much-many/3.mp3{/mp3}How many brothers and sisters do you have?
{mp3}/files/mp3/a-lot-much-many/4.mp3{/mp3}How many people did he invite?
Much and a lot as adverbs
We can use much and a lot without a noun, as an adverb. In this case, we keep the same principle as in the table above:
- we use "much" in negative and question sentences
- we use "a lot" in positive sentences
Examples
{mp3}/files/mp3/a-lot-much-many/5.mp3{/mp3}Does he smoke much?
{mp3}/files/mp3/a-lot-much-many/6.mp3{/mp3}Do you travel much?
{mp3}/files/mp3/a-lot-much-many/7.mp3{/mp3}I listened to the speaker, but I didn't understand much.
{mp3}/files/mp3/a-lot-much-many/8.mp3{/mp3}Lisa reads a lot.
{mp3}/files/mp3/a-lot-much-many/9.mp3{/mp3}Greg and I like each other a lot.