What is the difference between "many" and "much"? — Learners Everywhere
Answer
Choosing between many and much depends on what kind of noun you are talking about.
The word many is used to refer to a large number of things that can be counted, or nouns that have a plural form. This type of noun is called a count noun. Things like "cats," "books," "offices," and "friends" are plural count nouns. Below are some examples of many used with count nouns.
I have many friends.
How many cars does your father own?
We don’t have many things.
He has too many pets.
The word much is used to refer to a large amount of something that cannot be counted and does not have a plural form. This type of noun is called a noncount noun. Things like "milk," "air," "homework," and "luggage" are noncount nouns and do not have plural forms. (Click here for a list of more noncount nouns.) Below are some examples of much used with noncount nouns.
We have too much furniture.
How much money did you save?
She gave us so much housework that we didn’t have time to play.
There isn’t much water left in the pitcher.
Just remember: if the noun has a plural form, use many. If it does not have a plural form, use much.
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