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:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/library-151181679-5b2d5751fa6bcc0036de9b9b.jpg "When to Use 'How Much' and 'How Many' (1)")
By
Kenneth Beare
Kenneth Beare
English as a Second Language (ESL) Expert
- TESOL Diploma, Trinity College London
- M.A., Music Performance, Cologne University of Music
- B.A., Vocal Performance, Eastman School of Music
Kenneth Beare is an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher and course developer with over three decades of teaching experience.
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Updated on June 27, 2018
Whether to usehow muchorhow manydepends on whether the following nouniscountable or non-countable. In English,howmuchis often combined with non-countable qualities known as abstractions. These are common words such astime, water,andfun. Countable nouns are objects that you can count, such as apples, telephones, or cars.
Talking About Money and Cost
Moneyis an example of a non-countablenoun, so when talkingabout money and cost, you will need to use the phrase "how much."
- How much does the book cost?
- How much do the toys cost?
How muchcan also be used with the verbto beto ask about a price:
- How much is it?
- How much are the apples?
However, if the question concerns a specific unit of a currency such as dollars or pesos, both of which are countable, you should usehowmany:
- How many dollars does the house cost?
- How many euros do you need for lunch?
- How many pesos can you afford?
More Practice With Countable and Non-countable Nouns
Other categories of non-countable nounsinclude:
- Activities: housework, music, socializing, etc.
- Food types: meat, beef, pork, fish, etc.
- Groups of items: luggage, baggage, furniture, software, etc.
- Liquids: juice, water, alcohol, etc.
- Materials: wood, steel, leather, etc.
When asking for the quantity of any of these items, make sure to usehow much:
- How much luggage did you take with you on vacation?
- How much alcohol did you drink?
- How much pork should I buy?
- How much homework do you have?
- How much knowledge do you have about the subject?
- How much help did he give you last week?
- How much advice would you like?
How Manyis used with countable nouns. These nouns are easy to recognize because they generally end in the plural form withs.
- How many books are there on the shelf?
- How many days did it take you to finish the project?
- How many computers do you have?
However, there are a number of important exceptions to this rule including the following countable nouns that have irregular plurals and do not take an s.
| man -> men | How many men are in the boat? |
| woman -> women | How many women are singing? |
| child -> children | How many children came to class yesterday? |
| person -> people | How many people joined the cause? |
| tooth -> teeth | How many teeth has your child lost? |
| foot -> feet | How many feet is the football field? |
| mouse-> mice | How many baby mice are there? |
Using Containers and Measurements
If you are looking for an exact measurement when speaking about food types and liquids, it's a good idea to use containers or measurements. In this case, you can usehowmanyto ask a question:
Containers:
- How many bottles of wine should I buy?
- How many boxes of rice should I get?
- How many jars of jam do you have?
Measurements:
- How many gallons of gas did you use on your trip?
- How many cups of butter do I need for this recipe?
- How many pounds of sand should I mix into the cement?
Answering How Much and How Many Questions Exactly
To provide an answer to a "how much" or "how many" question, you can provide exact amounts:
- How much does the book cost? - It's twenty dollars.
- How many people came to the party? - There were more than 200 people there!
- How much pasta should I buy? - I think we need three boxes.
Answering Questions of Quantity Approximately
To provide approximate answers, you can phrases like: a lot of, some, a few, and a little. Note that there are slight differences between countable and non-countable answers.
You can usea lot ofwith both countable and non-countable nouns which are followed by the noun in the answer:
- How much rice do we have? - We have a lot of rice.
- How many friends did you make on vacation? - I made a lot of friends.
You can also usea lot of for both countable and noncount nouns when the answer is not followed by a noun:
- How much time do you have today? - I have a lot.
- How many cars have you had in your life? - I've had a lot.
You can usesomewith both countable and non-countable nouns:
- How much money do you have? - I have some money, but not much.
- How many apples are on the table? - There are some apples on the table.
You shoulduse a fewwith countable nouns anda littlewith non-countable nouns:
- How much fun did you have? - I had a little fun last night.
- How many glasses did you drink? - I drank a few glasses of wine.
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Your Citation
Beare, Kenneth. "Countable and Non-Countable Nouns: Using How Much and How Many." ThoughtCo, Jun. 25, 2024, thoughtco.com/how-much-many-money-3973857.Beare, Kenneth. (2024, June 25). Countable and Non-Countable Nouns: Using How Much and How Many. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/how-much-many-money-3973857Beare, Kenneth. "Countable and Non-Countable Nouns: Using How Much and How Many." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/how-much-many-money-3973857 (accessed September 17, 2024).
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