If we want to learn how to use
HOW MUCH ? and
HOW MANY ? first of all we need to know the difference between
COUNTABLE and
UNCOUNTABLE nouns.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, when we say
COUNTABLE noun, we are talking about some nouns that refer to things which, in English, can be treated as separated items that can be counted.
COUNTABLE nouns can be singular or plural. They can be used with
a/an and with numbers and many other determiners like
these, a few... For example:
a
house, three
houses
a
book, a box full of
books
She has got
two sisters and
a younger
cousin.
Sean bought Kevin
a few magazines.
Knowing that we consider
UNCOUNTABLE nouns those which refer to things that are seen as a whole or mass and cannot be separated or counted. Some examples of
UNCOUNTABLE nouns are:
- Ideas and experiences:
advice, information, progree, news, luck, fun, work
- Materials and substances:
water, rice, cement, gold, milk
- Weather words:
weather, thunder, lightning, rain, snow
- Names of groups or collections of things:
furniture, equipment, rubbish, luggage
- Other common uncountable nouns include:
accomodation, bagage, homework, knowledge, money, permission, research, traffic, travel.
👀 These nouns cannot be used with A/AN or numbers and not used in the PLURAL. For example:
We're going to get new furniture for the living room.
Not: We’re going to get a new furniture for the living room. or We’re going to get new furnitures for the living room.
So, when we want to know the quantity or amount of something, we ask
HOW MUCH ? for the uncountable nouns and
HOW MANY ? for the contable nouns. These questions always follow the same structure:
HOW MUCH/MANY + noun + verb + C ?
Here you have a summary chart from our friends from Woodward English:
LET'S PRACTISE!
