C. Grammar: Much or many?

Lemon curd can be used in a lot of ways. Would you say it can be made in much ways or in many ways? What is the difference between ‘much’ and ‘many’? Find out with the explanations below:

The words ‘much’ and ‘many’ in English are used to mean ‘a lot of’.

In everyday spoken English, ‘much’ and ‘many’ are usually only used in questions and in negative sentences.

If the noun is a singular or uncountable noun, we use ‘much’.

Examples:
How much coffee do you drink in the morning?
We don’t have much time to finish the job.

If the noun is a plural or countable noun, we use ‘many’.

Examples:
How many cups of coffee do you drink in the morning?
How many books do you read per month?
How many eggs do we need to make this cake?

In formal written texts, however, ‘much’ and ‘many’ are also common in positive sentences.

Examples:
Many people are interested in tracing their family history.
There is much confusion about this subject.

In positive clauses, ‘much’ and ‘many’ are also often accompanied with ‘so’, ‘as’ or ‘too’.

Examples:
Alexander has visited so many different countries.
My son spends too much time on the Internet.
Laura has as many friends as her brother.

Now, try to make sentences using the words ‘much’ and ‘many’.

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