📘 Part of the Complete English Course · Elementary (A2), week 4
Use 'many' and 'a few' with things you can count (days, people) and 'much' and 'a little' with things you can't count (rain, money, time). 'A lot of' works with both.
The rules
Which word?
| Countable (days, people) | Uncountable (rain, money) | |
|---|---|---|
| questions | How many days? | How much rain? |
| negatives | There aren't many people. | We don't have much time. |
| positives | a lot of / lots of people | a lot of / lots of rain |
| small amount | a few days | a little sun |
Remember
- In positive sentences, 'a lot of' sounds more natural than 'much': We had a lot of rain (not 'much rain').
- 'How much is it?' asks about price.
- 'A few' and 'a little' are positive (some); 'few' and 'little' alone sound negative (not enough).
- Common uncountables: weather, information, advice, money, furniture, traffic.
Listen and repeat
- How much rain did you get last night?
- There weren't many people at the beach.
- We've had a lot of hot days this summer.
- Can I give you a little advice?
Common mistakes
| Not this | Say this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| How much money? | money is uncountable. | |
| There are a lot of people. | people is countable; use a lot of / many. | |
| some information | information has no plural. |
Check yourself
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Frequently asked questions
When do we use much / many in English?
Use 'many' and 'a few' with things you can count (days, people) and 'much' and 'a little' with things you can't count (rain, money, time). 'A lot of' works with both. In positive sentences, 'a lot of' sounds more natural than 'much': We had a lot of rain (not 'much rain').
What are common mistakes with much / many?
Say 'How much money?', not 'How many money?' (money is uncountable). Say 'There are a lot of people.', not 'There are much people.' (people is countable; use a lot of / many). Say 'some information', not 'some informations' (information has no plural).
What level is this much / many lesson?
It's a Elementary (A2) lesson, week 4 of the free Complete English Course. It takes about 10 minutes and ends with a quiz.