Much/Many/A Lot Of

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What’s the difference between much, many and a lot?

Much, many, and a lot are quantifiers that all mean ‘a large amount of’.

The main difference between these words is that we can use much with uncountable nouns, many with plural countable nouns, and a lot with both types of nouns.

Learn about much, many and a lot of with Lingolia, then practise using them in the free interactive exercise.

Example

Louis and his family are on holiday in Madrid.

In the Plaza Mayor, there were so many people that Louis got lost.

He can’t ask for help because he can’t speak much Spanish.

He doesn’t know many words, and wouldn’t understand the people.

He doesn’t have much money either so he can’t take a taxi to the hotel.

What is he going to do?

Much and Many

In Negative Sentences and Questions

We mostly use much and many in negative sentences and questions.

Examples:
How much money do you have?
Louis can’t speak much Spanish.
  • We use many with countable plural nouns.
Examples:
How many children do they have?
Louis doesn’t know many Spanish words.

In Positive Sentences

We can use much and many in positive sentences after words like so, too, and as. (A lot is not possible after so, too, and as).

Examples:
As usual she has made too many cakes.
Take as much time as you need.
We had so much fun at the party.
They had so a lot of fun in Spain.

Much and many can stand alone in positive sentences, but only in a formal style. Be careful! This is not typical in everyday English, and can sound strange in informal contexts.

Examples:
Much has been said about ...
Many politicians believe ...

A lot

A lot and lots of are the most flexible quantifiers in English: we can use them in positive sentences with countable and uncountable nouns. They have the same meaning, but a lot of is more common.

Examples:
They have met lots of people.
They have a lot of friends.
I have a lot of money.
I have a lot of time.

Although it is possible to use a lot/lots of in negative sentences and questions, it is more common to use much and many.

Example:
Do you know many people in your neighbourhood? ↔ Do you know lots of people in your neighbourhood?

Other ways to say ‘a lot’

English has several different words and expressions that have the same meaning as a lot:

Formal:
plenty, a great/considerable number, a large/fair amount, numerous, a great deal
Informal:
loads, a pile/piles, stacks, tons, mountains, more … than you can poke a stick at

Learn more about much and many, or discover more English quantifiers.