Much
A) Rule: Much is used with non-count nouns. These words almost never end in “s,” so they are easy for students to catch.
B) Positive Statements: Much is very formal and awkward in positive statements. I tell my students to generally avoid using much in positive statements. Instead, students can use “a lot of” or “lots of.”
Examples:
- Avoid: I have much time to help you.
- Use: I have a lot of time to help you. / I have lots of time to help you.
C) Negative Statements: With negative statements, the meaning of not much is “a little, a small amount.”
Examples:
- She doesn’t have much patience for people who are always late.
- It didn’t take that much paper to print out my essay.
D) Questions: With questions, much is used to ask about the amount when the amount is unknown.
Examples:
- How much does this sweater cost? (Point out that we usually drop the noun “money” because it’s obvious.)
- How much homework do you have?
E) Exceptions: Point out that there are a few well-known exceptions where a non-count noun ends in “s” (there will be a blog post on this coming soon):
Example:
- We didn’t have much news.
Also point out that we can use much in positive sentences with the words “so” and “too” (there will also be a blog post on “so” vs. “too” coming soon):
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