01 A lot of/ Lots of/ many and much

Question 1

A lot of people work in London.
Lots of people work in London.
You’ll have a lot of fun at our Holiday Centre.
You’ll have lots of fun at our Holiday Centre.

Answer 1

These express a large quantity. We use a lot of and lots of with plural and uncountable nouns.

Question 2

A lot of trees/dancing

Lots of trees/dancing

Answer 2

work with both count and non-count nouns

Question 3

There aren’t many trains on a Sunday.

Many trees.

Answer 3

“Many” goes only before plural nouns

Question 4

There isn’t much traffic on a Sunday.

Not much dancing.

Answer 4

“Much” goes before uncountable nouns.

Question 5

There are a lot of tourists here.
There aren’t many tourists here.
Are there many tourists here?
How many tourists come here?

Answer 5

As a general rule, we use a lot of/lots of in positive statements and many or much in negatives and questions.

Question 6

Very many crimes go unreported.
There were so many people we couldn’t get in.
There’s too much concrete here and not enough grass.
How much support is there for the idea?

Answer 6

We also use many or much (but not a lot of) after very, so, too, as and how.

Question 7

There are quite a lot of tourists here.

There are rather a lot of tourists here.

Answer 7

We can use quite and rather before “a lot of” but not before “many or much”.

Question 8

A great many crimes go unreported.

Answer 8

“A great many” is rather formal.

Question 9

Many tourists come here year after year.

Answer 9

In more formal English we can use many and much in positive statements as well as in negatives and questions.