In English, “how much” and “how many” are used to describe the amount or quantity of something. While they are very similar, they are not used in the same way.[1]https://www.grammar.cl/english/how-much-how-many.htm
How much?
“How much?” is used in two different ways in English.
Quantity with Uncountable Nouns
How much + uncountable noun
Uncountable nouns are information, concepts, and materials which cannot be broken down into individual objects to be counted.[2]https://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/confusing_words/much_many3.htm
For example:
- How much
time before the train arrives? - How much
sugar is needed for the cake? - How much
milk do we have in the refrigerator? - How much traffic
is there on the road? - How much water
is in the pool? - How much
money is in your wallet?
Price
“How much?” is also used when talking about the price/cost of something.
When talking about price we use the following form:
How much + (verb) + countable noun
Countable nouns are individual places, people, and objects which can be counted.
For example:
- How much is
the car? - How much
for the car? - How much does
a meal cost at this restaurant. - How much
is the pants? - How much does
it cost?
How many?
“How many?” is used when we want to know the quantity of something.
Plural Countable Nouns
We use it only with plural countable nouns.
How many + plural noun
For example:
- How many
days until your birthday? - How many students
are in your class? - How many
books do you read per year? - How many countries
have you visited? - How many donuts
do you want me to buy at the store? - How many
siblings do you have?
In Context
You can take out the noun with “how much” or “how many” while talking when you know the context.
For example:
A: Can I have some money? B: How much (money) do you need?
A: Can I borrow some baseballs? We need it for the game. B: Sure, how many do you need?
Practice Exercises
Conclusion
How did you do? If some questions were tricky a private lesson can help you master this topic quickly.
References
