25.    many and much (adjectives and pronouns)

A.    many and much

many (adjective) is used before countable nouns. much (adjective) is used before uncountable nouns:

He didn 't make many mistakes.       We haven't much coffee.

They have the same comparative and superlative forms more and most:

more mistakes/coffee      most men/damage

many, much, more, most can be used as pronouns:

He gets a lot of letters but she doesn 't get many.

You have a lot of free time but I haven't much.

more and most can be used quite freely, and so can many and much, with negative verbs (see above examples). But many and much with affirmative or interrogative verbs have a restricted use.

B.     many and much with affirmative verbs

many is possible when preceded (i.e. modified) by a good/a great. Both are possible when modified by so/as/too.

I made a good many friends there.

He has had so many jobs that. . .

She read as much as she could.

They drink too much (gin).

When not modified, many, as object or part of the object, is usually replaced by a lot/lots of (+ noun) or by a lot or lots (pronouns). much, as object or part of the object, is usually replaced by a great/good deal of (+ noun) or a great/good deal (pronouns):

I saw a lot/lots of seabirds. I expect you saw a lot too.

He spends a lot/lots of/a great deal of money on his house.

As subject or part of the subject, either many or a lot (of) etc. can be used, but much here is normally replaced by one of the other forms. much, however, is possible in formal English:

Much will depend on what the minister says.

Compare negative and affirmative sentences:

He hasn't won many races.

You've won a lot/lots of races or You 've won a lot or

You've won a great many (races).

He didn't eat much fruit.

She ate a lot/lots of fruit/a great deal of fruit or

She ate a lot/a great deal.

C.     many and much with interrogative verbs

Both can be used with how: How many times? How much?

In questions where how is not used, many is possible, but a lot (of)

etc. is better when an affirmative answer is expected:

Did you take a lot of photos? I expect you did.

much without how is possible but the other forms are a little more usual:

Did you have a lot of snow/much snow last year?