Do we say much or many clothes?

Question

I've seen both in written texts but I guess one would be more appropriate than the other.
Also, we use to say a pair of shoes/boots but we say many shoes/boots don't we-in contrast to a piece of cake and much cake.
Help urgently needed!!

All I'm saying is I'm a little confused because normally "clothes" being uncountable noun would take "much" not "many". It seems that only "Teachmepm" got my point.

Answer 1

This is one of those areas of the English language where the "rule of law" does not match the common use of language.

By rule of law:
Anything that can be numbered or counted individually would be described using the term, many. Thus, "much clothes" (since we're not seeing individual articles of clothing) would be technically correct, but if you use that particular phrase, you're likely to receive puzzled expressions from those around you. If it were me, I would use "many articles of clothing" rather than "much clothes."

Much cake refers to a large quantity. Use "many" when separating out slices or pieces of cake: many pieces of cake.

Much sand...many grains of sand. Much water...many gallons of water. Generally if you can count or number something, use many. If you can't: use much.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

The general rule is that one uses 'much' for uncountable nouns (e.g. sand) and 'many' for countable nouns (e.g. grains of sand).

But there are exceptions.

Most of the exceptions involve nouns that can be countable AND uncountable. A good example of this is the questioner's example of 'cake', which can be both.
Another example is 'sugar': "There's too much sugar," versus "You've put too many sugars in my tea." Here 'sugars' is ellipsis for 'lumps of sugar'.
'Salt' is uncountable if you mean ordinary kitchen salt, but countable if you mean sodium chloride, magnesium sulphate, calcium nitrate etc.
And then we have 'clothes'. I would say that 'clothes' is uncountable and yet 'much clothes' just doesn't sound right. I can't explain it. 'Many clothes' is the right choice. It's an exception because it's an exception.

Answer 3

I have many articles of clothing. Sounds better than I have much articles of clothing doesn't it? Much cake is more than a piece of cake...

Answer 4

Much clothes.

You use much for uncountable nouns
and many for countable nouns.

Much cake or many pieces of cake.

Would you say 3 clothes? No, you'd say some clothes, so you use much.

Answer 5

I don't understand your question. Is this the English language we're talking about here?

A pair of shoes is a pair of shoes, what are you trying to say?

Please elaborate...

Answer 6

many clothes, a pair of shoes, many shoes, but you can say a piece of cake and much cake, as in, "I ate too much cake!"

Answer 7

Many clothes.

I'm not sure I can give you a satisfactory explanation; it just seems, like most grammar does to me, to roll off the tongue that way. I believe "much" refers to a singular and many to plurals, generally, though I know that can't be the rule.

Answer 8

much clothing > many clothes
much money > many coins
much water > many glasses of water
much traffic > many cars
Anything that can be counted > many
Anything that can't be counted > much

Answer 9

Do you know.. I have no idea.. My hubby takes the mickie out of me cos i say 'can you take that clothes upstairs' meaning that pile of clothes!!

Answer 10

Give this person 10 points -- teachmepm gave the best reply.