The main idea: asking for a number
How many asks for a number or quantity of separate units. It works with things you can count: books, chairs, people, days.
Even if the answer might be one or zero, the noun after how many in the question is plural: How many tickets do you need?
How many + plural countable noun + question structure?
- noun —
- A word naming a person, thing or idea: student, book, happiness.
How many tickets do you need?
How many tickets do you need?
Tickets are separate items that can be counted; the question asks their number.
How many days do you work each week?
How many days do you work each week?
Days is plural, and a question with you and work needs do.
After how many, use a plural countable noun
Regular plurals often end in -s or -es: books, buses, boxes. The plural noun identifies the units being counted.
Some common plurals are irregular: one child — children, one person — people. After how many, you need a plural form, not necessarily a word ending in -s.
How many books / buses / children / people ...?
How many buses stop here?
How many buses stop here?
The plural of bus is buses.
How many children are in the garden?
How many children are in the garden?
Children is the irregular plural of child.
Questions with an ordinary verb: do or does
If the plural noun phrase is followed by a separate subject, a Present Simple question uses do or does, then that subject and the base form of the verb. Use do with I, you, we, they, and does with he, she, it or one person’s name.
After does, the main verb has no -s: How many bags does Mia need? Do not say does Mia needs.
How many + plural noun + do/does + subject + base verb?
- subject / S —
- The grammatical subject: who or what the clause is about; the verb agrees with it. In The book was written, the book is the subject, although someone else does the action.
- verb / V —
- A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
- V1 / base form —
- The base verb without to: work, go, be.
- noun —
- A word naming a person, thing or idea: student, book, happiness.
How many books do they have?
How many books do they have?
They takes do; the base form have follows the subject.
How many emails does Ben send every day?
How many emails does Ben send every day?
Ben is one person, so use does. Send keeps its base form without -s.
Questions with be, there are and a how many subject
When the main verb is be, do or does is unnecessary. You can ask How many students are in the class? Are agrees with the plural noun.
To ask how many things or people exist in a place, we often use How many … are there? The noun after how many is plural, so use are there.
If how many + noun itself performs the action, it is the subject and does not need do/does: How many buses stop here? Compare How many buses do you take?, whose subject is you.
How many + plural noun + are ...?; How many + plural noun + are there ...?; How many + plural noun + base verb ...?
- verb / V —
- A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
- V1 / base form —
- The base verb without to: work, go, be.
- noun —
- A word naming a person, thing or idea: student, book, happiness.
How many students are in the class?
How many students are in the class?
Are is the main verb, so do not add do.
How many windows are there in the office?
How many windows are there in the office?
There are expresses the presence of multiple items in a place.
How many buses stop here?
How many buses stop here?
How many buses is the subject: the buses perform the action stop, so no do is needed.
Counting units rather than the substance
Water, tea, bread and money are normally uncountable, so use how much directly with them. However, you can count bottles, cups, loaves or coins.
In that case, how many precedes the name of the countable unit: bottles of water, cups of tea, loaves of bread, coins.
How many + plural countable unit + of + uncountable noun ...?
- noun —
- A word naming a person, thing or idea: student, book, happiness.
How many bottles of water do we need?
How many bottles of water do we need?
We count the bottles, not the water itself.
How many cups of tea does Eva want?
How many cups of tea does Eva want?
Cups are countable units. Tea after of does not become plural.
The contrast with how much and the rule’s limits
Use how much before an uncountable noun: How much rice do we need? Use how many before a plural countable noun: How many bags of rice do we need?
Some nouns are countable or uncountable depending on their meaning. At A1, first check the dictionary label and consider whether you are counting separate units. Price questions such as How much is it? belong to a neighbouring rule.
How much water is there?
How much water is there?
Water is a substance here, without separate units, so use how much.
How many glasses of water are there?
How many glasses of water are there?
Glasses are separate countable units, so use how many.
From a question to a natural conversation
First decide what you need to count and put its name in the plural after how many. Then choose the structure: do/does before a separate subject, are with be and there are, or a verb without an auxiliary when the how many phrase is itself the subject.
An answer can be short, such as Three or About ten, or a full sentence: We need three chairs. This does not change the question’s form.
How many chairs do we need? — We need six.
How many chairs do we need? — We need six.
The question already identifies the noun, so the answer need not repeat it.
How many people are there? — About twenty.
How many people are there? — About twenty.
People is the plural of person; about signals an approximate number.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:How many chair do we need?
Correct:How many chairs do we need?
After how many, a countable noun must be plural.
Incorrect:How many money do you have?
Correct:How much money do you have?
Money is uncountable in this meaning, so use how much unless you name a countable unit.
Incorrect:How many bags does Mia needs?
Correct:How many bags does Mia need?
After does, use the base form need, without -s.
Incorrect:How many students is there?
Correct:How many students are there?
Students is plural, so the there are construction needs are.
Incorrect:How many apples you want?
Correct:How many apples do you want?
This direct Present Simple question with ordinary want needs the auxiliary do.