What many expresses
Many describes a large number of things counted individually: one box, two boxes. Before a noun, use its plural: many boxes. How many asks the number without asserting beforehand that the quantity is large.
Many comes directly before its noun. Only a description can intervene (many old letters), rather than a verb or another complement.
many + plural noun counted as individual items
- noun —
- A word naming a person, thing or idea: student, book, happiness.
How many apples do we need for the cake?
How many apples do we need for the cake?
Apples are counted individually, so ask the quantity with many.
There aren't many letters in the box today.
There aren't many letters in the box today.
Many comes immediately before letters, preceded by the negative.
Quantity questions: How many …?
To find out the number, begin the sentence with How many immediately followed by a plural noun. The verb phrase then follows: How many windows does the room have?
Do not separate the noun from How many. How many are there windows? is unnatural: the group How many + noun comes first, followed by the rest of the question.
The answer is a number or approximate quantity: Twelve. / About twenty. / Not many.
How many + plural noun + verb phrase …?
- verb / V —
- A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
- noun —
- A word naming a person, thing or idea: student, book, happiness.
How many windows does the room have?
How many windows does the room have?
How many windows stays together and opens the question.
How many postcards did you send last summer?
How many postcards did you send last summer?
The auxiliary did expresses the past; the main verb keeps its base form.
Negatives: not many
A small quantity is expressed by a negative: not many, aren’t many, don’t have many, didn’t see many. Negation comes before many in these patterns, rather than after it.
Not many denies a large quantity and usually suggests a small number. It gives no exact number and does not itself guarantee there is at least one item. For an unambiguous zero, say none or not any.
When the noun has already been named in the conversation, many can stand without it: the short answer Not many. This is not an exception to word order; the noun is not repeated because the preceding words make it clear.
negative verb form + many + plural noun
- verb / V —
- A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
- noun —
- A word naming a person, thing or idea: student, book, happiness.
We don't have many boxes left.
We don't have many boxes left.
We state that there is no large supply of boxes; the sentence gives no exact number.
There weren't many lamps in that old flat.
There weren't many lamps in that old flat.
Weren’t agrees with plural lamps.
— How many badges are left? — Not many.
— How many badges are left? — Not many.
The question names badges, so many stands without the noun in the answer.
The noun after many is plural
The many + noun pattern needs a plural: How many mirrors …? The answer can be One or None: the question’s grammatical plural does not guarantee more than one item.
When this phrase is the subject or follows there, use plural agreement: Many mirrors are …, There are many mirrors. If there is a different subject, the verb agrees with it: She has many mirrors.
How many mirrors are there in the hall?
How many mirrors are there in the hall?
Both mirrors and are are plural.
There aren't many mirrors upstairs.
There aren't many mirrors upstairs.
Negative aren’t agrees with mirrors.
Irregular plurals are also countable
Some nouns form a plural without -s: people, children, men, women, feet. They are still counted individually, so work with many.
These forms need no additional -s: children is already plural, and people here refers to individual persons. As subjects, they take plural verb agreement. Peoples is possible in another meaning, referring to nations or communities.
How many children were at the party?
How many children were at the party?
Children is already plural, so an additional -s is unnecessary.
There weren't many men in the queue.
There weren't many men in the queue.
Men is the plural of man, and the verb is plural too.
When many is not the most usual choice
A lot of is more usual in many everyday positive statements, including I have …. Many is also possible; its naturalness depends on the construction. Initial Many people … is entirely ordinary, so do not regard every positive many statement as literary.
In questions and negatives, many is neutral. It is also neutral after too and so: too many cars, so many questions.
A useful working guideline for A1 is therefore to use many confidently in questions and negatives, and a lot of in an ordinary positive statement.
I have a lot of cousins in Poland.
I have a lot of cousins in Poland.
An ordinary conversational statement: a lot of is more natural here.
Many students in this country study two languages.
Many students in this country study two languages.
Many appears in the subject phrase. This is a correct positive statement about a large number of students.
There are too many cars on this road.
There are too many cars on this road.
After too, many also sounds neutral in a positive statement.
The rule’s limits
When the quantity refers to part of an already-identified group, many is followed by of: not many of my classmates, how many of them. This construction does not work without of.
Nouns not counted individually do not combine with many in those meanings. English uses another quantity word for them; this belongs to a separate related rule.
This rule does not cover choosing between few and a few, or fewer / less. These belong to higher levels.
many of + the/my/your + plural noun; many of + them/us/you
- noun —
- A word naming a person, thing or idea: student, book, happiness.
Not many of my classmates like early lessons.
Not many of my classmates like early lessons.
The group is already identified, so of follows many.
How many of them are staying until the end?
How many of them are staying until the end?
Them names a previously mentioned group, and of is required.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:How much oranges do you want?
Correct:How many oranges do you want?
Oranges are counted individually, so ask the quantity with many, rather than much.
Incorrect:How many box do we need?
Correct:How many boxes do we need?
The how many + noun construction needs plural boxes, regardless of the eventual answer: one, two or none.
Incorrect:There isn't many spoons in the drawer.
Correct:There aren't many spoons in the drawer.
Spoons is plural, so use aren’t, rather than isn’t.
Incorrect:How many are there buses in the morning?
Correct:How many buses are there in the morning?
Do not separate the noun from How many: first How many buses, then the verb.
Incorrect:How many peoples work here?
Correct:How many people work here?
People is already plural, so do not add -s in this meaning.
Incorrect:Not many people comes to the early class.
Correct:Not many people come to the early class.
People is plural, so the verb has no -s ending.
Incorrect:I don't have many money with me.
Correct:I don't have much money with me.
Money is not counted as individual items, so many is unsuitable.