Quantifiers: A lot of - Much - Many (Common Core)
Much, Many, A lot of
How to use quantifiers.
A lot of / Lots of (+)
We use a lot of or lots of for both noun types. It's most common in positive (+) sentences.
- Countable: "She has
a lot ofbooks." - Uncountable: "I need
a lot ofcoffee." - (
Lots ofis just more informal: "He haslots offriends.")
Much (Uncountable) (- / ?)
We use much with Uncountable nouns. It's most common in negative (-) sentences and questions (?).
- Negative (-): "I don't have
muchtime." - Question (?): "How
muchmoney do you have?" - (We don't usually say: "I have
muchtime." We say "I havea lot oftime.")
Many (Countable) (- / ?)
We use many with Countable nouns. It's most common in negative (-) sentences and questions (?).
- Negative (-): "There aren't
manypeople here." - Question (?): "How
manyapples did you buy?" - (It's OK to say "I have
manyfriends," but "I havea lot offriends" is more common.)
Comparison Table
| Sentence | ✓ Countable (Apples) | ✗ Uncountable (Water) |
|---|---|---|
| Positive (+) | I have a lot of apples. |
I have a lot of water. |
| Negative (-) | I don't have many apples. |
I don't have much water. |
| Question (?) | How many apples do you have? |
How much water do you have? |
Test Your Knowledge!
Choose the correct word for each sentence.
