Reference · module 14
How much, how many
Everything this module explains, on one page.
much and many
Ask about quantity without guessing.
- many with things you count: how many people, how many books. much with things you measure: how much time, how much money.
- a lot of works with both and is what people actually say: a lot of people, a lot of time. much and many live mostly in questions and negatives.
- So I have a lot of work is normal, and I have much work is grammatical and odd. The rule is about where the word lives, not about correctness.
The mistake you are about to make
I have much work.
I have a lot of work.
Much is grammatical here and sounds bookish to the point of odd. A lot of is what people say; much and many live in questions and negatives.
a few and a little
Say there is a small amount, and say there is almost none.
- a few with countable things, a little with uncountable: a few friends, a little water. Both mean a small amount and both sound positive.
- Drop the a and the meaning flips. few friends means almost none, and it sounds sad. little time means hardly any time at all.
- That one small word is doing a lot of work, and it is the difference between I have a little money and I have little money.
The mistake you are about to make
I have little money. (meaning: some)
I have a little money.
Drop the a and the meaning flips: little money means next to none. One letter decides whether you are reporting or complaining.
too and enough
Say something is more than you want, or just right.
- too means more than you want: too expensive, too hot, too late. It always goes before the adjective and always carries a complaint.
- enough goes AFTER an adjective: big enough, warm enough. That position is the opposite of every other language and is worth drilling.
- But before a noun: enough money, enough time. So the same word sits on different sides depending on what it is measuring.
The mistake you are about to make
enough big
big enough
Enough goes in front of an adjective in most languages. English puts it behind: big enough, warm enough — but in front of a noun, enough money.
In a shop
Buy something, try it on, and ask about the price.
- The assistant opens with Can I help you? and the safe reply is I'm just looking, thanks, or I'm looking for a jacket.
- try it on is three words and cannot be split differently: try on the jacket, or try it on. The pronoun always goes in the middle.
- Sizes are small, medium and large, or numbers. And Do you have this in a larger size? is the question that gets you the right one.
The mistake you are about to make
try on it
try it on
Try on the jacket keeps the two words together, so it wants to go last as well. A pronoun always squeezes into the middle: try it on.