Much, many, little, a little, few, a few

Much means «много», little means «мало». They are used with uncountable nouns: much time, much effort, little energy, little money.

Many means «много», few means «мало». They are used with plural countable nouns: many friends, many people, few cars, few countries.

A lot of, lots of, plenty ofare used as the synonyms of many and much with uncountable and countable nouns: a lot of time, a lot of people, lots of books, lots of energy, plenty of money, plenty of ideas.

We use much and many mainly in negative sentences and questions:

We didn’t spend much money.

Have you got many friends?

In positive sentences it is better to use a lot of. Much is especially unusual in positive sentences:

We spent a lot of time.

There has been a lot of rain recently.

But we use too much and too many in positive sentences:

There’s too much sugar in this tea.

Too many people were present at the lecture.

Little and few have negative meaning – not many, not much, not enough:

We can’t go skiing today. There’s little snow.

He was a very good man. There are few like him in the world today.

A few means «несколько», a little means «немного некоторое количество», they have positive meaning – some, a small amount or a small number:

We have a little time. Let’s take a walk in the garden.

He left after a few moments.

But ‘only a little’ and ‘only a few’ have a negative meaning:

Hurry up! We’ve only got a little time.

The village was very small. There were only a few houses.

EXERCISES

Exercise 1. Use indefinite pronouns «much», «many», «little», «few» in the right form.

1. This season we have had ... fruit than last year. 2. There is ... hope that he’ll keep his promise. He never does. 3. At the weekends there are ... people in the city because ... of them prefer to go to the country. 4. Cats eat ... than dogs. 5. Ask Peter, I think he knows ... about it. 6. This time you have made ... misprints, you are making progress. 7. Come here, there’s ... room and ... noise. 8. In midsummer there is ... water in the pond and you can swim. 9. If you spend your holiday in Greece you’ll get ... sunshine. 10. This time you’ve got ... letters, Mr. Ford. Next time you’ll have ... . 11. … people know it, and still ... want to learn it because it’s dull. 12. Then ... settlers came and stayed, and then still ... came and built their houses and soon there appeared a village. 13. ... people have so ... wisdom. 14. We saw ... and ... of him and soon we forgot about him.

Exercise 2. Choose between much and many, (a) little and (a) few.

1. Nowadays he was very busy and he saw ... of his old friends. 2. I suggested that he should get ... grapes and some bread. 3. Aunt Florrie had ... money while none of the other family had inherited as ... as a pound. 4. He was so happily absorbed in the building of his house that events outside it affected him ... . 5. My sister spends so ... money on her clothes that she has none left for holidays. 6. My dear, I’m afraid I have not ... news to convey but still there are ... things I should like to add. 7. I began to miss London: it was not so ... that I had ... close friends there, for I have ... friends, but I missed variety. 8. Tom has eaten so ... that he can’t move. 9. Adeline had slept ... last night and she had a headache. 10. She was glad to see me because I was English and she knew ... English people. 11. My engagements were ... and I was glad to accept the invita­tion. 12. He knew he was not a good teacher, and he intended to do ... of that. 13. At the bar ... men were discussing the coming elections in loud barking tones. 14. Virginia returned to England at the moment when ... were leaving it. 15. I have so ... things to do that I don’t know which to do first. 16. Last week there was so ... rain that I was not able to go out.

Exercise 3. Make the following sentences affirmative and replace many and much by suitable expressions:

l. Ann had not had many visitors lately. 2. He didn’t earn much money and lived in the country. 3. I drove along the edge of the sea. There were not many people about. 4. Were there many things that your mother minded your do­ing? 5. He hasn’t much work to do this afternoon. 6. Dick doesn’t smoke much. 7. There isn’t much time to catch the train. 8. I didn’t get much to eat when I had dinner with the Greens. 9. I haven’t much time for watching TV. 10. My father didn’t read many books on economics.