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Lesson Transcript
| Hi, everybody. Welcome back to Top Words. My name is Alisha, and today, we’re going to talk about 10 ways to say you want something. So, let’s go. |
| «Want.» |
| The first word is «want.» We use «want» for anything we want to receive, we want to get. Any desire you have for an object, for a person, you can say, «I want something.» So, for example, «I want a new pair of shoes. I want a puppy. I want a new house.» «Want.» We use «want» for desires. So, in this sentence, «I want a new pair of shoes.» |
| «Hope.» |
| The next word is «hope.» So, we use «hope» for something in the future, something in the future that we want to happen, something that we want to occur, a hope in the future. So, «hope» is sometimes used for like a concept, like for the weather, for example, like, «I hope it’s sunny tomorrow,» or, «I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow.» So, some desire, something you want in the future, like, we’ll talk about it later, but you can imagine like you’re thinking positively about something you want in the future. We use «hope» for this. So, «I hope I get a good job someday,» or, «I hope my friend calls me back.» So, in this sentence, «I hope this new project is successful.» |
| «Wish.» |
| So, the next word is «wish.» So, we use «wish» in a similar way to «hope,» but «wish» has some set phrases like to wish someone a happy birthday, for example, means to hope they have—you want them to have a happy birthday. But we don’t say, «I want you to have a happy birthday.» We say, «I wish you a happy birthday,» or, «I wish you safe travels,» for example. So, it’s like a hope for someone else. So, «I wish you blah, blah, blah. I wish you safe travels. I wish you a happy birthday. I wish you a happy marriage,» for example. We also use «wish» for something that is different, a situation that is different from the current situation. We use it in a sentence like, «I wish I were, blah, blah, blah.» So, «I wish» is used for something like a hope or a desire for something which is not the case now. So, like, «I wish I had a nice set of cookware.» That’s true. Or, «I wish I could travel anywhere in the world at any time.» I can’t do that now. So, we use «wish» for things that are maybe not possible or they are not the situation now. So, in one more example sentence, «Don’t you wish you could travel anywhere anytime?» |
| «Desire.» |
| The next word is «desire.» So, «desire» is not so commonly used in everyday conversation. «Desire» tends to have more of like a romantic or intimate nuance about it, or I suppose we could say like it has a more formal nuance to it, but in my mind, it has more of like an intimate relationship nuance. So, like a strong desire for your boyfriend or a strong desire for your girlfriend. It has like a physical relationship nuance. So, like to desire someone else. We use it in that way. You might sometimes see it like the client’s desire, a different approach or we desire something else for this project. You might hear it in those cases where it sounds a little more formal than want. But I feel that in many cases, «desire» sometimes has a more, a physical relationship nuance. So, please be careful with how you use «desire.» In a sentence, «They desire a response as soon as possible.» |
| «Crave.» |
| Okay. The next word is «crave.» So, «to crave,» this is as a verb. In the noun form, we say «craving.» «I have a craving for, blah, blah, blah,» or, «I’m craving something.» So, «to crave» means to want something so much you can’t stop thinking about it. This is really commonly used for food. So, a food that you really, really want to eat, we use the word «crave,» like, «I’m craving ramen. I’m craving pizza. I’m craving a burrito. I’m craving an ice cold beer,» for example. «I’m craving a sugary doughnut.» So, the thing that you really want to eat or drink, you can explain that really strong feeling with the word «crave.» So, «I’m craving something.» So, yeah. In a sentence, «I’m craving ramen,» or, «I have a craving for ramen,» is good, too. |
| «Yearn.» |
| The next word is «yearn.» This is a very old-fashioned word. We often use it with «yearn for» and it’s used—you might see it like in old—well, I shouldn’t say old. You might see it in literature. So, in books and novels and stuff. To yearn for someone or to yearn for something. It means to—it’s like crave, but kind of an old-fashioned, like you really, really want something or you want someone but it has this sort of romantic kind of old tiny feel about it. This is not a word that’s used really in everyday conversation. You might see it in a book or you might see it in, I don’t know, I suppose like a news article perhaps in quoting something, like, «The politician yearned for his days as like a student,» for example. |
| So, it has sort of this old-fashioned, yes, but also this rather—I keep coming back to the word romantic but I don’t mean it in terms of like a love thing. I mean, in terms of this idealized image of something. You have this ideal image of something kind of beautiful in your past or some beautiful other things somewhere. Like yearning for pastures in a different country or there’s some kind of like beautiful image that someone yearns for. So, this is a fairly rare word, I feel like, from this list that we’ve talked about so far. In a sentence, «He yearned for his girlfriend.» So, there’s something that’s out there that you just really want. But again, kind of weird. It means you—or weird to say now, but you might see this in books and things. |
| «Lust.» |
| The next word is «lust,» to lust for something. So, to lust for. So, similar to desire, «lust» has more of a romantic or a strong intimate relationship nuance. So, «lust» for someone else, for another person means you have a strong physical attraction to someone. So, like, «To lust for that girl,» or, «To lust for,» or we also use «to lust after someone.» So, like, «Oh, I’m lusting after that guy. I’m lusting after that girl.» is like you have a really strong physical attraction. So, the idea here is like a very physical attraction is the deal. |
| We also use it at least in modern American English to describe a strong visual attraction like seeing something, like a visual attraction to objects, especially when shopping. So, like, «I’m lusting after that bag,» or, «I’m lusting after those new shoes.» Something that you really, really want to buy, so you can use «lust» for that. Like, «I’m lusting after that new car, or like, I don’t know. I don’t personally use it this way, but I would say you lust after some object, lust after a new camera, lusting after blah, blah, blah. So, to lust after something means to really, really want to buy something. So, in a sentence, «I’m lusting for that new bag.» |
| «Can I have…?» |
| So, the next expression, it’s actually a question pattern, it’s, «Can I have…?» So, when you want something when you’re shopping, when you’re at a restaurant, when you’re at a bar and you want an item, you can say, «Can I have…?» as a way to ask for the item. So, «Can I have a beer? Can I have a glass of wine? Can I have a burger? Can I have that TV? Can I have that camera? Can I have that iPad?» Anytime you want an object, you want to purchase or order an object, you can use «Can I have…?» to ask for that. So, in a sentence, «Can I have a beer?» |
| «I’d like…» |
| Another expression you can use to ask for something in a service situation is «I’d like…» So, «I’d like a new car,» or, «I’d like a haircut. I’d like a new dress.» Or, «I’d like some help. I’d like to know where the bathroom is.» So, you can use «I’d like…» I’d, be careful, so not I like, I’d. It means I would. «I would like blah, blah, blah.» «I’d like» becomes «I would like» in the expanded form. So, use this anytime you want something, you want help. You can use this in a lot of different situations. In a sentence, «I’d like some more time to work on this.» |
| «I need…» |
| Next is «I need…» So, like «I’d like…» «I need…» is used to ask for something in a service situation at work. So, «I need four pastries, please,» or, «I need three pizzas,» or, «I need five drinks, please.» So, again, ordering something, requesting something you can use «I need…» to introduce that. «I need a trip to the dentist. I need to sleep.» So, something you desire, something you need, something you want. You can use «I need» to explain that thing. In another sentence, «I need your help.» |
| So, those are 10 ways to say you want something. If you have any other ideas, be sure to let us know in a comment. Also, feel free to try out these expressions in the comment section below this video. Thanks very much for watching this episode of Top Words and I’ll see you again soon. Bye! |
Потому что мы говорим не словами, а устойчивыми фразами, раз за разом используя привычные словосочетания. Именно построение фразы выдаёт иностранца, говорящего так, словно он читает газету. У носителя же языка готовые словесные обороты выскакивают сами собой.
Фактрум публикует самые важные английские идиомы с переводами и примерами их употребления.
Rules for the use of much, many, few, little, a lot of and plenty of
In English, there are words called quantifiers. They are used to indicate quantity. Unlike numerals, which denote an exact amount, these words refer to an approximate amount. In this article, we will talk about words like much, many, few, little, a lot of и plenty of.
Using much, many and a lot of
All these words are translated into Russian as «a lot». However, the use of these words depends on the type of sentence (statement, negation or question) and on which noun it refers to — countable or uncountable. The basic rules are presented in the table below:
For example:
He has a lot of books. — He has lot books.
Kate doesn’t have many DVDs. — At Kate Little DVD. (Literally: Keith doesn’t have a lot of DVDs).
Holly spends a lot of time watching TV shows. — Holly conducts lot time watching television shows.
is there much petrol in the tank? — In the tank lot gasoline?
Much and many in statements
As you can see, a lot of is mainly used in affirmative sentences, and much and many — in denials and questions. However, this rule is not strict, it is based on the frequency of use, therefore much and many can be used in assertions as well. For example:
Joe has many friends. — Joe lot friends.
Also the words much and many are used instead of a lot of in a formal business style:
Many different kinds of research require the permission of the supervisor. — Many types of research require the permission of the supervisor.
If we want to say that there is too much of something (that is, build an affirmative sentence), then instead of a lot of we will use words much and many with additional word too («too much»). For example:
There were too many people at the conference. — The conference was too much people.
Oliver ate too much ice-cream. — Oliver ate too much ice cream
Synonyms of a lot of
Synonymous with the word a lot of is lots of. It is believed that lots of more informal and more often used in colloquial speech, and a lot of on the contrary, it is more formal. Lots of can also be used with both countable and uncountable nouns. For example:
Julia eats a lot of vegetables. / Julia eats lots of vegetables. — Julia is lot vegetables.
They have done a lot of work. / they have done lots of work. — They did lot work.
Another word for a large number is the word plenty of… As a rule, it is used to mean a very large amount of something, something in abundance:
we have plenty of tea at home. — At our home lot tea.
James has brought plenty of biscuits to the office. — James brought to the office lot cookies.
As we see plenty of can also be used with both countable and uncountable nouns.
The use of few, a few, little, a little
In order to understand how these words are used, we need to know two parameters: the first — whether this word refers to a countable or uncountable noun and the second: what is the meaning of the sentence — positive or negative. Consider the table below:
examples:
Kelly has a few close friends. — Kelly has slightly close friends. (Positive value).
Kelly has few close friends. — At Kelly’s little close friends. (Negative meaning).
Bobby has a little money. — Bobby has slightly of money. (A positive value is a little, but still there).
Bobby has little money. — Bobby’s little of money. (Negative meaning).
As we can see from the examples, these words have the same translation into Russian for both countable and uncountable nouns, but a different translation depending on the meaning: with a positive meaning, we translate them as «a little», with a negative meaning, as «little.»
Other meanings of much, a lot, a little
Form a lot sometimes it is used not in the meaning of «a lot», but in the meaning of «often» or «very». For example:
Do you enjoy watching films? — Yes, a lot… — Do you like to watch movies? — Yes, very.
Also the words much и a little can be used to form the comparative degree of adjectives. For example:
Source: https://www.start2study.ru/english-grammar/quantifiers/
Quantitative pronouns in English
| with countable nouns | with uncountable nouns | |
| quantitative pronouns | many lotfew little (not enough)a few a little, a little (there is) | much lotlittle little (not enough)a little a little (there is) |
| several some | ||
| other quantifiers | a lot of — a lot, a large number of colloquial forms: lots of — lots of; plenty of — many | |
| a large number of — set, large number | the great deal of — a lot, a lot |
Quantitative pronouns in English express the meaning of an indefinite number or quantity.
Pronouns many and much
Quantitative pronouns many and much used both as adjective pronouns and noun pronouns.
1) In the function of adjective pronouns:
In the affirmative sentences:
many — many (with countable nouns)
much — many (with uncountable nouns)
a) As a definition to the subject of a sentence (and not only exclusively many and much, their substitute a lot of is used here not much less often):
Much (A lot of) money is spent for defense. — A lot of money is spent on defense.
Many (A lot of) people speak Russain. — Many people (many people) speak Russian.
b) With adverbs of degree (when adverbs of degree are used in front of them to strengthen the meaning, the most common: too too and so so, so much, as well as very very, etc.):
I have so much work to do. — I have so much work to do. There are too many mistakes in your exercises. — There are too many mistakes in your exercises.
Very many old people live alone. — A lot of elderly people live alone.
c) In the subordinate clauses introduced by the unions if and whether;
I wonder if many people will come to the dance. — I wonder how many people will come to the dances.
d) Sometimes in cases when they bear a semantic stress; in a book-writing style, etc.
Source: http://www.learnenglishbest.com/kolichestvennye-mestoimeniya-angliyskom.html
Parameter words in English
17 September 2014 Admin page »English
The use of much and many
Pronouns much, many (many, many, many) can function as a determinant to a noun or be used instead of a noun.
Much is used only with uncountable nouns or instead of uncountable nouns:
How much time do you need? How much time do you need?
You haven’t much time if you want to catch the bus. You don’t have much time if you want to catch this bus.
My father meant much to me. My father had high hopes for me.
much depends on what answer he will give. Much depends on the answer he gives.
Many is used only with countable nouns or instead of countable nouns:
do you have many friends? Do you have many friends?
Many of them were late. Many of them were late.
Many think that the situation will improve. Many people think that the situation will improve.
Not many knew about it. Not many people knew about this.
In modern colloquial English, pronouns much и many as a determinant, as a rule, they are used only in interrogative and negative sentences, in affirmative sentences they correspond to a lot of (lots of), which is used with countable and uncountable nouns:
You have a lot of time to catch the bus. You still have a lot of time to get on this bus.
I have a lot of friends. I have many friends.
Pronouns much и many are used in affirmative sentences if they are preceded; too (too much), very (very), so (So), how (as), as (also):
I can’t drink this tea. There is too much sugar in it. I cannot drink this tea, it has too much sugar.
You can have as much fruit as you wish. You can take as many fruits as you like.
little, few
Pronouns little, few (little, not enough) are used both as a determinant and a noun.
Little used only with uncountable nouns:
I have little time. I do not have much time.
there is little water in the cup. There is little water in the cup.
Little has been known of them. Little was known about them.
The little that remains will be unloaded tomorrow. What little remains will be unloaded tomorrow.
Pronoun few used only with countable nouns:
He has few friends. He has few friends.
Few knew him well. Few knew him well.
He has read the few books he has. He has read the few books he has.
He is one of the few men which are always ready to help. He is one of the few people who are always ready to help.
Pronoun few can serve as a definition for a noun in the singular with an indefinite article, indicates each of the small set
Few a man can resist a woman’s charms. Few men can resist the spell of a woman.
Few a thing has changed during the days. Little has changed during these days.
Pronouns little и few can be used with an indefinite article in the meaning of a little, a little:
I have a little time. I have some time.
I saw him a few times. I have seen him several times.
Parameter words
AllPartNothingPeople Objects Place Time
| everybody | somebody | nobody |
| everything | something something, something | nothing |
| everywhere | somewhere | nowhere |
| always | sometimes sometimes | never |
examples:
He sees todo Mundo. He sees everyone.
He speaks to todo Mundo… He speaks to everyone.
I saw him somewhere… I saw him somewhere.
I always say the truth. I always tell the truth.
Note time parameters the sentence usually uses before the verb… All other parameters are used more often. after the verb.
The use of these words is straightforward. Except for one case where the words nobody, nothing, nowhere, and never are used to convey negation:
- I didn’t tell him anything bad.
In this case, you should not copy the structure of the Russian sentence, because double negation will be a mistake in an English sentence:
- I didn’t tell him anything bad. I did Note tell him nothing bad. (wrong) I told him nothing bad. (right)
Let’s consider a few more suggestions:
there is nothing interesting here. There is nothing interesting here.
Nobody cares about my plans. Nobody cares about my plans.
Source: https://linguistpro.net/english/slova-parametry-v-anglijskom-yazyke.html
The use of much, many, few, little, a lot of, plenty
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Have you noticed how often we use the words «a lot», «a little», «a few» in our speech and how we do not like to give exact numbers? Secretive by nature, the English also use these words very often in speech.
When we say «a lot» in English, we use the words many, much, a lot of, plenty of, and when we say «little» — few, a few, little, a little. These words are called determiners, they indicate an indefinite amount of something.
This article will show you when and where to use much, many, few, little, a lot of, plenty of in English.
The noun plays a key role in the choice of the defining word. The determiner depends on which noun is in front of us, countable (countable) or uncountable (uncountable). Once again, we recall that we can count countable nouns and they have a plural form (a boy — boys). And uncountable nouns do not have a plural form (water — some water), and we cannot count them.
We have divided all words into three groups depending on which noun they are used with. We will consider each group separately.
Much / Little Many / Few A lot of / Plenty of
| Uncountable nouns | Countable nouns | Countable and uncountable nouns |
| How much money have you got? — How much money do you have? — There is little ink left in my pen. | I have many friends. — He has got few friends. — He has few friends. | There is a lot of sugar there. — There are plenty of plants in the garden. — There are many plants in the garden. |
Many, few, a few with countable nouns
The words many (many), few (few), a few (several) are used with countable nouns. Many denotes a large number of something: many apples (many apples), many friends (many friends), many ideas (many ideas).
The opposite of many is few: few apples, few friends, few ideas. Few often have a negative meaning: very little, not enough, so little that practically none.
A few has an intermediate meaning between many and few, translated as «a few»: a few apples (a few apples), a few friends (a few friends), a few ideas (a few ideas).
— Do you have many friends in this part of the city? — At your place lot friends in this part of town?
— No, I don’t. I have few friends in this part of the city. — I do not have little friends in this part of town. (that is, not enough, I would like more)
— I have a few friends in the city center. — I have some friends in the city center.
Much, little, a little with uncountable nouns
The words much, little, and little are used with uncountable nouns. Usually, the uncountable include liquids (water — water, oil — oil), objects that are too small that cannot be counted (sand — sand, flour — flour), or abstract concepts, since they cannot be seen or touched by hands (knowledge — knowledge, work — Work).
Much stands for a large amount of something uncountable: much sugar, much milk, much time.
The opposite of much is little: little sugar, little milk, little time. Little, like few, means that something is not enough, very little.
A little means a small amount of something that cannot be counted: a little sugar, a little milk, a little time.
— Did she put much salt in the soup? — She lot put salt in the soup?
— No, she didn’t. She put little salt in the soup. — No, she put little salt in the soup. (more could have been)
— I added a little salt in her soup. — I added slightly salt in her soup.
A lot of, plenty of — universal words
The words a lot of (many) and plenty of (many) are the most «convenient»: we can use them with both countable nouns and uncountable ones.
A lot of (lots of) replaces much and many: a lot of people (many people), lots of tea (lots of tea). Plenty of means that there is a lot of something, that is, enough or even more than necessary: plenty of people (a lot of people), plenty of tea (a lot of tea).
We bought lots of souvenirs and plenty of tea when we were on vacation in Sri Lanka. — We bought lot souvenirs and lots of tea when we were on vacation in Sri Lanka.
Features and exceptions
- Much, many, few, little, a lot of with uncountable nouns
There are a number of nouns that seem to be countable, but in fact are not. Sometimes it can be difficult to determine the «countability» of a noun.
If you are not sure which noun is in front of you, it is better to check it in the dictionary.
Please note that in English, uncountable includes advice, news, work, money, research, travel, furniture.
They have much work to do. — They have lot work.
Source: https://engblog.ru/much-many-few-little-a-lot-of-plenty-usage
«Grammar» «There is a lot of people» vs «There are a lot of people»
If you took a driving license exam, then perhaps you remember a funny question in one of the tickets: what to do if 4 cars drive up to an unregulated intersection at the same time from all directions. According to the rules, each of them must pass the car on the right, but each has a car on the right.
The correct answer to the question sounds like “such a situation is not provided for by the rules”. So in English, there is also a case in which the official grammar makes a helpless gesture. This case is a choice between there is a lot of [people] and there are a lot of [people]. There are wars on forums and blogs about which option is correct.
Let’s take a look at the arguments on both sides.
Before continuing, I will make a reservation that we are talking about the use of there is / are with a lot and with countable plural nouns. In other cases, no questions arise, for example:
There is a lot of milk. A lot of milk (milk is uncountable, therefore is)
There are lots of people. Lots of people (lots of here, so there are)
There are a lot of people
The argument on this side is simple. A lot of people (a lot of cars, a lot of books) is a lot of objects. Therefore, the verb should be, as for the plural — there are a lot of people.
There is a lot of people
«Wait a minute,» says the other half of the leading controversy. Didn’t you notice the «a» before the «lot». The article «a» is used only with a singular number, and «lot» is a «large number» — the noun is in the singular. Those. if you have a box of pencils or a bag of potatoes, it’s still one box and one bag, no matter how many pencils or potatoes are inside. Same logic for a lot. Therefore — there is a lot of people.
There will be no reconciliation in this dispute — there are those wishing to defend the correctness of their position on both sides. The official grammar, as I said, is indecisive — it seems that both options are acceptable.
What about real life?
Take our favorite resolver of all controversy, the google books word frequency search tool, ngram. It is a tool developed by Google that allows you to compare the popularity of phrases across the huge collection of google.books.
It turns out, there are a lot of people about 15 times more common than there is a lot of people… Here is your answer.
Similar expressions
A similar certainty arises with other expressions. Let’s take a look at the statistics right away:
there is / are a number of
there is / are a couple of
there is / are a group of
It seems that when it comes to the fact that there are many objects — and this is precisely the case with a lot of, a number of, or a couple of — the plural form are is more often used.
But in the case of a group of — the group is perceived as something one, indivisible. Therefore, the singular form is.
So, in the dispute there is / are a lot of people, both sides have weighty arguments. Grammar guides try not to get involved in this dispute. And in real life, as it turns out, the form there are a lot of people is an order of magnitude more popular.
Source: https://englishexplained.ru/there-is-a-lot-vs-there-are-a-lot/
A clear rule of thumb for using much-many in English. Usage examples, exercises with answers
Hello friends! How not to get confused using much and many? Just pay attention to the rules of use, because it is no coincidence that the English came up with two words with the same meaning.
They are not interchangeable: in some cases, you only need much, and in others, you only need many. It all depends on the word itself, which will refer to much or many. Let’s figure out what’s what!
Difference between many and much
Pronoun many used when it refers to objects (animate or inanimate) that can be counted. Words denoting such objects are called countable nouns.
Example:
- many children — many children
- many people — many people
- many tigers — many tigers
use many (since they can be counted)
Pronoun much is used only with nouns that cannot be counted, that is, with uncountable nouns.
Example:
- much sugar
- much water
- much money
use much (since they cannot be counted. Much means a lot of something.)
We look at the table that will clearly show you the difference in the use of Much, Many
Much / Little Many / Few A lot of / Plenty of
| Uncountable nouns | Countable nouns | Countable and uncountable nouns |
| How much money have you got? — How much money do you have? — There is some ink left in my pen. | I have many friends. He has got few best friends. — He has a few (few) best friends. | There is a lot of sugar there. — There are plenty of plants in the garden. — There are many plants in the garden. |
Many used where items can be counted individually.
If they cannot be counted, feel free to insert the word into the sentence much.
Interrogative sentences
- How much sugar do you take in your coffee?
- How much money do you want for this?
- Do you have much work to do?
- How many students are there in each class?
- How many people are you expecting?
Negative sentences
- He doesn’t earn much money (noun money — uncountable). He earns little (= little) money.
- Not many people have heard of her (noun people — countable).
- Barbara doesn’t have many friends. Barbara has few (= not many) friends.
Much / many exercises:
Exercise 1. Use much or many to express How many ?.
- how days?
- how sugar?
- how cigarettes?
- How work?
- How petrol?
- How children?
- How theaters?
- How juice?
Exercise 2. Translate sentences into English using much, many, a little, a few, little, few, a lot of
- I have few friends in this part of town.
- The teacher said so many words, but I didn’t understand anything.
- He asked the waiter to bring some water.
- In autumn, many birds fly south.
- She doesn’t like it when there is too much sugar in her tea.
- “There is absolutely no room in the closet! You have so many clothes! ”
Exercise 3. Use much or many.
Do you drink ________coffee? I reading. I read _________ books. We have _______ lessons of English this year. I can’t remember _______ from this text. Do you learn _______ new English words every day? We haven’t got ________ bread. I can’t spend ________ money on toys.
Replies
Exercise 1.
- How many days? (How many days?)
- How much sugar? (How much sugar?)
- How many cigarettes? (How many cigarettes?)
- How much work? (How much work?)
- How much petrol? (How much gasoline?)
- How many children? (How many children?)
- How many theaters? (How many theaters?)
- How much juice? (How much juice?)
Exercise 2.
- I have few friends in this part of the city.
- A teacher said so many words but I understood nothing.
- He asked a waiter to bring a little water.
- In autumn many birds fly to the south.
- She doesn’t it when there is too much sugar in tea.
- “There is no place in a wardrobe! You’ve got so many clothes! ”
Exercise 3.
Do you drink much coffee? I reading. I read many books. We have many lessons of English this year. I can’t remember much from this text. Do you learn many new English words every day? We haven’t got much bread. I can’t spend much money on toys.
Friends like us, we tried!
Source: http://englishfox.ru/pravilo-much-many-v-angliiskom.html
How to learn to use adjectives with countable and uncountable nouns correctly
The use of adjectives with countable and uncountable nouns in English has its own tricks. What are they?
There are countable and uncountable nouns in English. Most often they are combined with adjectives in the same way. But there are situations when you need to know exactly which adjectives should be used with countable and which with uncountable nouns. Let’s take a look at these rules.
General rules for the use of adjectives with nouns
In English, countable nouns are those that can form a plural form (usually with the ending -s). For example: dog — dogs, pupil — pupils, pocket — pockets.
Uncountable nouns usually do not have plural forms. For example: sky, love, trust, butter, sugar. That is why in English you cannot say: «He saw many beautiful skies.» (He saw many beautiful skies) or: «She bought two milks.» (She bought two milk).
The use of countable and uncountable nouns with adjectives is in most cases identical. For example:
- «The sky was blue.» (The sky was blue) — The noun sky (sky) is uncountable.
- «He bought a blue car.» (He bought a blue car) — Here the adjective blue is used with the countable noun car.
However, it is important to remember that with the following adjectives, the use of countable and uncountable nouns will be different:
- some / any
- much / many
- little / few
- a lot of / lots of
- a little bit of
- plenty of
- enough
- No.
Some / any
The adjectives some and any can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns. Examples:
- «There is some milk in the glass.» (There is milk in a glass).
- «Do you any music?» (Do you like music?)
- «Do you have any pets?» (Do you have pets?)
- “There are some actors on the scene.” (On stage — actors).
Much / many
The adjective much is used only with uncountable nouns. For example:
- “I gained so much weight” (I gained so much weight).
- «She drinks so much coffee.» (She drinks so much coffee.)
The adjective many is used with countable nouns.
- «Many Italians are keen on pizza.» (Many Italians love pizza.)
- “The small boy was happy to see so many animals in the zoo.” (The little boy was happy to see so many animals in the zoo).
Little / few
The adjective little is used only with uncountable nouns. For example:
- “She feels little fear alone at home.” (She’s a little scared to be home alone.)
- «He had little time to prepare for exams.» (He had little time to prepare for the exam.)
The adjective few is used with countable nouns.
- «He has few options in this situation.» (He had few options in this situation.)
- «There are few animals in the desert.» (Few animals live in the desert.)
A lot of / lots of
The expressions a lot of and lots of are analogous to the adjectives much and many, but, unlike them, they can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns.
- «They have lots of (many) fans in Europe.» (They have a lot of fans in Europe).
- «They spent a lot of (much) money in the trip.» (They spent a lot of money on the trip.)
- «The boy saw a lot of (many) animals in the zoo.» (At the zoo, the boy saw many animals).
- «He gets lots of (much) pleasure walking in the park.» (He enjoys walking in the park.)
A little bit of
The adjective a little bit of in English is used quite rarely and always accompanies uncountable nouns. For example:
- «There is a little bit of sugar in the tea.» (There is some sugar in tea.)
- «There is a little bit of butter on the plate.» (There is some butter on the plate.)
Plenty of
The adjective plenty of can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns.
- “There are plenty of tourists in Rome.” (There are many tourists in Rome).
- «She uses plenty of pepper when cooking.» (She uses a lot of peppers when cooking).
Enough
Likewise, enough can be used with all nouns.
- «She has enough money to travel by plane.» (She has enough money to travel by plane.)
- «I have enough ideas to manage the project.» (I have enough ideas to manage the project).
No
The adjective no should be used with both countable and uncountable nouns.
Source: https://skyeng.ru/articles/kak-nauchitsya-upotreblyat-prilagatelnye-s-ischislyaemymi-i-neischislyaemymi-sushchestvitelnymi-pravilno
Much / many. Rule of use in English
Quantitative pronouns are used to indicate a large number of something or someone in English. many и much… Both are translated into Russian by the word “many”. The question arises: if the meaning is the same, why are two different pronouns needed? It turns out that this makes sense, since each of them has its own area of application.
Affirmative sentences
In modern English, in affirmative sentences, instead of pronouns much and many, their synonym is increasingly used. a lot of.
This is a universal pronoun, as it is suitable for animate nouns — a lot of people and inanimate — a lot of books, for countable — a lot of minutes and uncountable — a lot of time.
In those speech situations where you find it difficult to choose between many and much, use a lot of — you can’t go wrong.
For example: «A lot of children came to the zoo to see a new-born polar bear «. — “Many children came to the zoo to look at the newborn polar bear.”
The pronouns many and much are often part of the subject, for example:
- There are many candles on the fireplace shelf. “There are many candles on the mantelpiece.
- there is much soup in the pan. — There is a lot of soup in the pot.
In these sentences, many and much can be easily replaced with a lot of, and the meaning of the sentences will not change.
Interrogative and negative sentences usually use the pronouns much and many.
There is / there are (there’s / there’re)
This grammar topic teaches you how to work with the popular English construction there is / there are… Or, in other words, how to say: there is something, there is not something.
At the airport (there are) many rules. — There are a lot of rules at the airport.
There is no stadium in the town. — There isn’t a stadium in the town.
We use this construction when the sentence says that something is / not is somewhere. In other words, something is somewhere or something is not somewhere. To do this, in English, we use the construction there is / there are.
The word there in this construction will not change under any circumstances. Will change, according to the law of the genre, the verb to be in number and in tenses, we will talk below.
Here you need to be careful and not confuse the adverb there (there) and part of the construction there is / are… The difference will be visible in the context and translation: there, which is included in there is / are, will not even be translated, it just «is». For example:
There is only one restaurant there. — There (is) only one restaurant.
The second part of this construction is the already known verb «be» — to be in the form is and are (is for the singular, are for the plural).
There is a cake in the fridge. — There’s a cake in the fridge.
There’s a hole in my pocket. — There’s a hole in my pocket.
In the last sentence, we abbreviated there is to there’s, which is quite typical for spoken English.
There are two men in the room. “There are two men in the room.
There’re many mistakes in your test, you must do it over. — There are many mistakes in your test, you must redo it. (there are = there’re)
Often a student asks the question: why can’t I just say through a verb to be? For example:
Many mistakes are in your test.
Everything is very simple: such a sentence is grammatically correct, but the speaker will not say so, it will sound less natural to his ear. In addition, the design there is / are very popular with native speakers, so definitely not worth avoiding.
Interestingly, sentences with there is / are we translate from the end, the construction itself may not be translated at all, or it may be translated by the word «is».
There are many Italian foodstuffs in this shop. — There are many Italian products in this store.
There are seven days in a week. — There are seven days in a week.
Denial
It is a pleasure to work with this construction: to build negation, we
add a particle not or the word no after is / are
There isn’t any cold water in the fridge. — There is no cold water in the refrigerator.
There is no lamp in my son’s room. — There is no lamp in my son’s room.
You noticed that after there is not there must be an article a or an; after there is no we do not put either the article or any.
There are not two but three kids in their family. — Their family has not two, but three children.
There aren’t problems with this child. — There are no problems with this child.
There are no guests at the party. — There are no guests at the party.
Question
To build a question, you just need to rearrange the words in the construction itself. there is / are.
Is there a scarf in the wardrobe? — Is there a scarf in the closet?
Is there a dog in the car? «Is there a dog in the car?»
What is there on the table? — What (is) on the table?
Are there letters for me? — Are there any letters for me?
Are there students in the lecture hall? — Are there students in the classroom?
How many days are there in February? — How many days in February?
Very often the question arises in sentences where we need to list items in both the singular and the plural. What to do in these cases?
The choice of is or are will depend on the first noun immediately after the construction there is / are.
There is one bathroom and two bedrooms in my flat. — My apartment has two bedrooms and one bathroom.
As «bathroom» in the singular comes the first, we chose there is.
Source: https://speakasap.com/ru/en-ru/grammar/konstrukciya-there-is-are/
Enjoy learning English online with Puzzle English for free
It is clear where the confusion can arise between the words many and much: in Russian they have the same meaning. Both words convey the idea of plurality and indicate a large number of those objects to which they refer.
What, then, is the difference between them? And when is many used, and when is much? In order not to confuse these two words with each other, you need to remember small rules.
Countable and uncountable nouns
The words much and many each refer to the object that follows it. The choice of one of these two words depends on the type of the subsequent noun.
All nouns can be divided into two groups: countable and uncountable. The division into these two classes is based on the ability to count objects. Let’s look at this principle with an example: take the word chair.
It has both singular and plural forms: chair — chairs. If we imagine a set of chairs, we can count how many items it contains: one chair, two chairs, and so on.
If we take another noun, for example, snow (snow), then we will not be able to count what elements a lot of snow consists of.
Nouns of the first type that behave like chair are called countable, and nouns of the second type, like snow, are called uncountable.
Many and much: the rule of thumb
How much and many have to do with this? The most direct: the category of calculability of a noun determines which of these words will be used. Let’s turn to the examples we are already familiar with. Chair is a countable item, so many will be used with it. Snow is an uncountable noun, which means that if we want to convey the idea of a large number, we will use much with it.
I need many chairs for the party — I need many chairs for the holiday.
There is much snow in the city — There is a lot of snow in the city.
Thus, for many or much, the rule can be deduced: many appears with countable nouns, and much with uncountable nouns.
Source: https://puzzle-english.com/directory/muchmany
Much and many. Usage rules
Details Karina Galchenko Category: BEGINNER — ELEMENTARY
: 03 June 2019
180607
: 4/5
How not to get confused using much and many? Just pay attention to the rules of use, because it is no coincidence that the English came up with two words with the same meaning. They are not interchangeable: in some cases, you only need much, and in others, you only need many. It all depends on the word itself, which will refer to much or many. Let’s figure out what’s what!
As you know, nouns are divided into countable (you can count) and uncountable (you cannot count), and this is what depends on. rules for using much and many… It is necessary to remember once and for all that many is «friends» only with countable nouns, and much — with uncountable ones.
examples:
many children — many children
much water — a lot of water
But that’s not all about much and many. The rules for using these words suggest that they are best avoided in positive sentences. That is, much and many in English should be used in negations and questions. There are exceptions when these words are part of the subject.
examples:
do you have many friends here? — Do you have many friends here? (many + countable noun).
I don’t much sugar in my tea. — I don’t like a lot of sugar in tea (much + uncountable noun).
Many people speak English. — Many people speak English (many is part of the subject — many people).
Rules for the use of many much a lot of
If your positive proposal cannot do without «a lot», then pay attention to rules for using many much a lot of… It is believed that a lot of is well suited for approval. By the way, you can use it in absolutely any context. Even if you suddenly wondered what would work for a given sentence, a lot of will always help out, since it can be used for both countable and uncountable nouns.
examples:
There are a lot of people in this room. — There are many people in this room (a lot of + countable noun).
I have a lot of work today. — I have a lot of work today (a lot of + uncountable noun).
Do i have a lot of mistakes in the test? — Do I have a lot of mistakes in the test? (interrogative sentence).
They don’t have a lot of information. — They don’t have a lot of information (negative proposal).
Rules for using many much a lot of refer specifically to nouns, you cannot use these words with verbs. But what to do when it is important to «enhance» the meaning of an action? Here a lot will do (without the preposition of).
examples:
We see our parents a lot… — We see our parents a lot (meaning «see each other often»)
Do you practice this language a lot? — Do you practice this language a lot?
Drinking how much how many
Concerning how much how many, then here, too, everything depends on the noun that will follow this or that question phrase. How much should be combined with uncountable nouns, and how many with countable nouns.
examples:
How much milk do you have to buy? — How much milk do you need to buy? (how much + uncountable noun)
How many roses did he present her? — How many roses did he give her? (how many + countable noun)
Finally, I would like to note that with the words years, weeks, days it is better to use many rather than a lot of.
Example:
I have known Mary for many years. — I have known Mary for many years.
Best wishes to you!
Source: http://fluenglish.com/stati/studentam-na-zametku/29-beginner-elementary/367-much-i-many-pravila-upotrebleniya.html
Lesson 7. Words-parameters. The use of much and many
Words much, many (many, many, many) can be used as an addition to a noun, or be used instead.
much used only with uncountable nouns or instead of uncountable nouns:
- How much money did he spend?
How much money did he spend? - You haven’t much time if you want to catch the bus.
You don’t have much time if you want to catch this bus. - Not much was written about it.
Little has been written about this. - He doesn’t eat much.
He doesn’t eat much.
Many is used only with countable nouns or instead of countable nouns:
- How many books do you have?
How many books do you have? - How many pupils are in this class?
How many students are there in this class? - Many to play football.
Many people like to play football. - Not many have heard of her.
Few have heard of her.
In modern English, often instead of words much и many their synonym is used a lot of (lots of). A lot of used with both countable and uncountable nouns:
- He always makes a lot of mistakes.
He always makes a lot of mistakes. - we have a lot of bags.
We have a lot of bags.
If the word «a lot» is preceded by too (too much), very (very), so (So), how (as), as (also) then you need to use much и many. Using A lot of in this case is incorrect.
- I have so much work to do
I have so much work to do. - She works too much.
She works too hard. - You have made very many mistakes
You’ve made a lot of mistakes.
In this lesson, the expression a lot of not used. Only much и many.
little, few
Words little, few (little, not enough) can be used as an addition to a noun, or be used instead.
Little used only with uncountable nouns:
- we have little money.
We don’t have much money. - She at very little at lunch.
She ate very little at lunchtime. - Little has been said about this event.
Little has been said about this event. - John spends little time with his family.
John spent little time with his family.
Few used only with countable nouns:
- He has few friends.
He has few friends. - Few managers admit their mistakes.
Few leaders admit their mistakes. - He has read few books.
He read few books. - Many people were invited but few cam.
Many people were invited, but few came.
Pronouns little и few can be used with an indefinite article in the meaning a little, a little.
Consider in comparison:
- I have a little time.
I have some time. - I have little time.
I have little time. - I know a few words in spanish.
I know a few words in Spanish. - I know few words in spanish.
I know few words in Spanish.
1. 
set your heart on
set your heart on 2. wish
wish What’s your wish?
If you wish us to reserve an alternative room, please let us know immediately.
I sometimes wish I could live a quiet retired sort of life but I doubt I could stand it for more than a few days.
All you ever do is nitpick. I wish you could say something more constructive.
It’s an American tradition to make a wish on your birthday.
Books are for people who wish they were somewhere else.
It seemed like a nice idea at the time, but I wish I hadn’t done it.
I wish I’d kept up my Chinese. I need it for my job.
The music next door is very loud. I wish they would turn it down.
If you wish to be happy, learn to be content with your condition in life.
Make a wish.
No matter what your profession, or how happy you may be in it, there are moments when you wish you had chosen some other career.
I’m not rich, nor do I wish to be.
She has gone against her father’s wish and sold their collection.
Have you seen a shooting star? So make a wish.
Английский слово «to want something very much«(wish) встречается в наборах:
Most common verbs 201 — 222
3. eager
When we are told not to come, we become all the more eager to go.
When I go on holiday, I am eager to soak up the history and culture of the place I visit.
she’s eager to learn
The illiterate man was eager to increase his vocabulary.
In order to elude her eager public, the movie star checked into the hotel under a false name.
He told me that when he was young, he was very eager to be popular, and wanted to make a good impression on everyone.
An ardent affection for the human race makes enthusiastic characters eager to produce alteration in laws and governments prematurely.
I leaned forward, eager to catch every word he spoke.
I hope he’s as eager to learn as the others. They crowded round the spokesperson, eager for any news.
Dogs are always eager to fight with cats whenever they see them.
Your eager is a first step to be promoted.
I am very eager to learn and expand my skills and horizons.
Rosie was eager to leave work as early as possible last Friday.
Teachers like students who are eager to learn.
I’m eager to be allowed to do more private-sector investment.
want
verb
to feel that you would like to have, keep, or do something
wish
verb
to want something to happen although it is unlikely
hope
verb
to want and expect something to happen or be true
look for
phrasal verb
to hope to get something that you want or need
long
verb
to want something very much
aspire
verb
to want to achieve something or to be successful, especially in your career
crave
verb
to want something very much and in a way that is very hard to control
lust after
phrasal verb
to want something very much
yearn
verb
mainly literary to want something a lot, especially something that you know you may not be able to have
have your heart set on (doing) something
phrase
to decide that you want something very much
More synonyms
ache
verb
literary to want very much to do or have something, especially when it is impossible
ask/wish for the moon
phrase
to want something that is impossible to get or achieve
be/feel in the mood (for something)
phrase
to want to, or to feel that you would like to, do a particular thing
be in the market for something
phrase
to want to buy something
be itching for something/to do something
phrase
to feel very impatient because you want to do something immediately
be spoiled by something
phrase
to have or be able to use something that is special or unusual, so that you wish you still had it when it is not there any longer
be thirsty for something
phrase
to want something very much
burn
verb
to feel a very strong emotion or a great need for someone or something
clamor
the American spelling of clamour
clamour
verb
to say that you want something and must have it
could do with something
phrasal verb
spoken used for saying that you want or need something
covet
verb
formal to very much want something that someone else has
dare hope/dream/believe
phrase
if you dare not hope, dream, or believe that something will happen or is true, you think it is very unlikely, but you would very much like it to happen
desire
verb
formal to want something
fancy
verb
Britishinformal to want to have or do something
feel like
phrase
to want something, or to want to do something
gag
verb
Britishvery informal to want something very much, especially sex
give your right arm (for something/to do something)
phrase
to be willing to do anything in order to get or achieve something
hanker
verb
informal to have a strong feeling of wanting something
have designs on something
phrase
to want something and to be planning a way to get it
have itchy feet
phrase
to want to leave something such as a job or a relationship and start something new
have someone/something in mind
phrase
to know the type of person or thing that you want for a particular purpose
have your eye on someone
phrase
to consider someone suitable for a particular job, position, or activity
have your eye on something
phrase
to have seen something and want to have it or buy it
hope to God
phrase
used for emphasizing that you very much hope something will happen
hunger
verb
mainly literary to want something very much
jones
verb
Americaninformal to have a very strong feeling of wanting something
live for the day when
phrasal verb
to want something to happen very much
mean
verb
to want someone to do something, or to want something to happen to someone
pine for
phrasal verb
to be very sad because you want to be with someone who you love, or want something that you do not have
set your mind on doing something
phrase
to be determined to have or achieve something
stick out for
phrasal verb
to be determined to get what you want or need, and not be willing to accept anything less
take a fancy to something
phrase
literary to suddenly start to want to have or do something
thirst for
phrasal verb
to want something very much
want
verb
to feel that you would like someone to do something or would like something to happen
want
verb
informal to feel that you would like someone or something to be in a particular place or doing a particular job
want nothing more (than)
phrase
used for showing that someone’s hopes or wishes are reasonable
will
verb
an old word meaning ‘to want or intend something to happen’
wish
verb
formal to want something, or to want to do something
wish for
phrasal verb
formal to want something
would give your eye teeth for something/to do something
phrase
used for saying that you wish you could have/do something very much