Words (Core Vocabulary)
- count nouns (apples, emails, people) vs. noncount/mass (milk, homework, luggage)
- some / any
- much / many
- a lot of / lots of / plenty of
- a few / a little (positive) vs. few / little (almost none, negative)
- enough / not enough
- too many / too much
Phrases (Rules that work)
some / any
- some in positives & polite offers/requests: “I have some time.” “Would you like some tea?”
- any in negatives & most questions: “I don’t have any cash.” “Do you have any questions?”
much / many / a lot of
- many + count; much + noncount (more formal/negative):
“How many emails?” “Not much traffic today.” - a lot of / lots of for both (neutral): “A lot of people / a lot of water.”
a few / a little (some, positive) vs. few / little (not enough)
- “I have a few friends in Calgary.” (some)
- “I have few friends here.” (almost none; sounds negative)
- “We have a little time left.” vs. “We have little time.”
enough / too many / too much
- “We don’t have enough chairs.”
- “There are too many emails.” (count) / “Too much noise.” (noncount)
Contextual Examples (Everyday)
- Any chance you have a few minutes later?
- We had a lot of snow but not much wind.
- Do we have enough plates? If not, I’ll grab some.
Collocations & Phrases (bold the key words)
- a lot of people/traffic
- many options
- much time/money (often with not/too/how)
- a few questions
- a little advice
- too many tabs open
- enough seats
Quick Grammar Notes
- In questions, much/many are common (“How much/many…?”). In statements, a lot of often sounds more natural.
- With offers/requests, some sounds friendlier than any: “Could I have some water?”
Extra Mini-Patterns (plug-and-play)
- Ask: “Do you have any availability this week?”
- Offer: “Would you like some more coffee?”
- Plan: “We have a few options and enough time to decide.”