i just wanted to know b/c sometimes if you use either or in a sentence it could be grammatically incorrect
2007-10-29 09:37:32 · 6 answers · asked by Harsh 6 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
many is a number,much is an amount
2007-10-29 09:41:03 · answer #1 · answered by keeprockin 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In general, many is used with things that are countable, while much is used for things that can't be counted (like liquids, abstract nouns like love, as an adverb. etc).
Consider this:
Ex: I don't have much money.
Ex: I don't have many dollars.
In the first example, money is not countable (abstract) so it uses 'much' while dollars are easily countable, and takes 'many'.
Ex: I don't have much milk left.
Ex. I don't have many bottles of milk left.
In the first example, milk can't be counted (liquids are not counted, but rather they are measured) so it takes 'much'. In the second example, bottles CAN be counted, so it takes 'many'.
Also, in general both of these are used with negative sentences, while in affirmative sentences typically 'a lot' or 'a lot of' is used (more so for the word 'much'... 'many' is seen more often in the affirmative than 'much').
Ex: I don't have much love for crybabies. (abstrast noun that can't be counted, in the negative).
Ex: I have a lot of love for crybabies. (abstract noun, can't be counted, in the affirmative).
The link below should help!
2007-10-29 16:41:05 · answer #2 · answered by gaelicspawn 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One is ued to describe countable things
dollars, botles of milk, .....=many
the other is for things that cannot be counted - milk is a lake of the stuff, you can have much or little.
It's a bit like quanta - the size increases in jumps, it is not infinitely variable for "many"
2007-10-29 17:22:46 · answer #3 · answered by rosie recipe 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Much and many are related in the same manner as fewer and less: one is used for generic collective nouns (much / less) and the other is used for countable quantities (many / fewer).
So, I can have MUCH money, MUCH water, MUCH land, but MANY cattle, MANY dogs, MANY problems.
2007-10-29 16:42:01 · answer #4 · answered by dansinger61 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Much refers to a large amount of one thing (volume).
Many refers to a lot of copies of one particular thing (quantity).
2007-10-29 16:43:35 · answer #5 · answered by righteousjohnson 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I look at "much" as being something that has exceeded it's limit a bit and is enough for that person.
"Many" seems to be broader and unlimited.
2007-10-29 16:42:05 · answer #6 · answered by *I'm the Best...I Deed It!* 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋