Much / Many
Indicating quantity for count and noncount nouns
Much vs. Many
| MUCH | MANY |
|---|---|
Use much with a noncount noun to indicate a large quantity. Use much in a negative sentence or a question. Much is rarely used in a positive sentence except for scholarly contexts such as medical journals or reference books. |
Use many with a plural count noun to indicate a large number. Use many in a negative sentence or question. Many is rarely used in a positive sentence except for scholarly contexts such as medical journals or reference books. |
A NEGATIVE SENTENCE / A QUESTION Not much food is in the refrigerator. Is there much food in the refrigerator?
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A NEGATIVE SENTENCE / A QUESTION
Are there many snacks in the refrigerator?
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A POSITIVE SENTENCE Much food is in the refrigerator. (Incorrect – use some or a lot of) Some food is in the refrigerator. A lot of food is in the refrigerator. Much food can be preserved in a refrigerator. (Use in a scholarly context only.) |
A POSITIVE SENTENCE
Several snacks are in the refrigerator. A lot of snacks are in the refrigerator. Many snacks have high amounts of sodium. (scholarly context) |
Also see count / noncount nouns | some/ any
Much of / Many of
| MUCH OF | MANY OF |
|---|---|
Use much of before a, an, or the + a singular count or noncount noun to indicate a portion of something. Use singular verb agreement. |
Use many of before the + plural count noun to indicate a quantity of items in the group. Use plural verb agreement. |
Much of the food is fresh. (positive sentence) Much of the food isn't fresh. (negative sentence) Is much of the food fresh? (question) How much of a watermelon can you eat?
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Many of the snacks aren't fresh. (negative) Are many of the snacks fresh? (question) — "How many of some…" is not used.
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So Much / So Many
| SO MUCH – SINGULAR | SO MANY – PLURAL |
|---|---|
Use so much with a noncount noun and a singular verb. So much emphasizes quantity. |
Use so many with a count noun and a plural verb. . So many emphasizes quantity. |
So much chicken is left over from las night. We ate so much chicken last night. Not so much chicken was eaten / We didn't eat so much chicken. |
We ate so many french fries last night. Not so many fries were eaten. We didn't eat so many fries.
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So many
Much more / Many more
| MUCH MORE | MANY MORE |
|---|---|
Use much more with a noncount noun to emphasize the quantity or make a comparison. Use a singular verb. |
Use many more with a plural count noun to emphasize quantity or make a comparison. Use a plural verb. |
Much more food is in our refrigerator. (emphasis on how much) You eat much more food than I do. (comparison of how much) |
You eat many more eggs than I do each week. |
Many moreContent page: Much / More
So Much / Such
| SO MUCH … THAT | SUCH … THAT | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Use so much to emphasize the quantity of a noncount noun. (singular verb) |
Use such … that to emphasize quality of a count or noncount verb. (The verb agrees with the noun of the such-phrase.) |
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So much delicious food is sold there |
that we can buy a lot of it. |
Such delicious food is sold there |
that we enjoy every mouthful. |
So much fresh seafood is sold there |
that we can buy a lot of it. |
Such fresh seafood is sold there |
that it tastes as if it was just caught. |
Such sweet cherries are sold there |
that we buy a lot of them. |
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Content page: So/Such-that
Practice 1
Many
Decide whether the sentence needs the quantifier much or many.
You will need to know if the noun is count or non-count. Noncount/Count
- Select the word from each menu that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button to the right.
Practice 2
Much
Select the nouns that can complete the sentence: I don't have much ____.
* indicates an incorrect response.
Practice 3
Many
Select the nouns that can complete the sentence: I don't have many ____.
* indicates an incorrect response.
* cheese or lettuce is countable if referring to different types or varieties. See Plural Varieties.