Many, much 和 a lot of 都有「許多,很多」的意思,後面跟名詞。
1 Much 後面一般加不可數名詞,Many 後面+可數名詞的複數形式
🌰 Did you buy much food?
你買了很多食物嗎?
food 食物是一個很大的概念,是不可數名詞,所以前面用 much。
🌰 Did you buy many books?
你買了很多書嗎?
book 「書」 是可數名詞,這裡放在many後面,用它的複數形式,books
a lot of 後面兩種都可以,既可以是不可數名詞,也可以是可數名詞的複數。
🌰 We bought a lot of food.
我們買了很多食物
🌰 We bought a lot of books.
我們買了很多書。
對比一下下面兩個例子
🌰 There is a lot of food.
這有很多食物。
🌰 There are a lot of books.
這有很多書。
發現了啥?
這裡都是There be 句型,雖然都可以用a lot of,但是一個用了is,一個用了are。這是因為food是不可數名詞,所以用is,而 books可數名詞的複數,所以 必須用are。
2. 當我們談論不可數名詞的時候,在否定句和疑問句中,經常會用much
🌰 Do you drink much coffee?
你喝很多咖啡嗎?
🌰 I don’t drink much coffee.
我不喝很多咖啡。
But, but, but, 在肯定句中卻很少用到much,通常用 a lot of 來替換
🌰 I drink a lot of coffee. ( NOT I drink much coffee❌)
我喝很多咖啡。
🌰 Do you drink much coffee? Yes, a lot. (NOT Yes, much ❌)
你喝很多咖啡嗎?是的,很多。
3. many 和 a lot of 這兩個詞就沒有這麼多的規則,在肯定句,否定句和疑問句中都可以用。
🌰 We』ve got many friends / a lot of friends.
肯定句:我們有很多朋友。
🌰 We haven’t got many friends / a lot of friends.
否定句:我們沒有很多朋友。
🌰 Have you got many friends / a lot of friends?
疑問句:你有很多朋友嗎?
4. Much 和 a lot 可以單獨使用,後面不一定要有名詞。
🌰 Donna spoke to me, but she didn’t say much.
Donna和我說話了,但是她沒有說很多。
🌰 Do you watch TV much? No, not much.
你看電視多嗎? 不,不多。
🌰 We like films, so we go to the cinema a lot. (NOT go to the cinema much❌)
我們喜歡電影,所以我們去很多次電影院。(翻譯成 「經常去電影院」順一點)
這裡為什麼不可以用 much 呢?因為前面說了,much 通常用在否定句和疑問句,這裡是肯定句,所以用 a lot。
🌰 I don’t like him very much.
我不是很喜歡他。
小測試
用 many 和 much 填空
Did you buy _____ food?
There aren't _____ hotels in this town.
Were there _____ people on the train?
I wasn't hungry, so I didn't eat _____.
I don't know where Gary lives these days. I haven't seen him for _____ years.
Answers:
much
many
many
much
many