much
part of speech
determiner (much, more, most); adverb (much); pronoun (much)
meaning for a pupil
1) Much means a lot of something you do not count one by one, like much water or much money. tree →
2) «How much» asks for an amount or a price. tree →
3) Much makes a comparison stronger: much bigger, much faster. tree →
4) «Not much» means only a little. tree →
5) «Too much» means more than you need or want. tree →
6) (casual) «Not much» answers «What's up?» and means nothing special; «much?» alone asks the price. tree →
7) (sarcastic, casual) «Much?» or «…much?» mocks someone: «Jealous much?» means you are clearly jealous. tree →
8) (rough) «Too much» can mean someone is being unbearable: «you're too much, mate»; «so much for that» means it failed. tree →
9) (formal) «The quantity of», «to what extent» and «considerable» are the stiff words: «Determine the quantity of water remaining.» tree →
10) Much can also mean very greatly, as in "it hurt so much". tree →
sense in the lessons
In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: Used as in everyday English, often in the old way to mean a great amount or very. In the primary lessons: in «how much» questions about money, liquid, weight or time; in comparisons «how much more», «much bigger»; in everyday life «how much is it?» asks the price; in casual talk «how much for 3?», «not much»; in the exam voice «ascertain the sum expended» or «determine the quantity»; phrases «so much», «too much», «as much as», «thank you very much», «not much», «much the same», «much of a muchness» (UK)
examples
- And Abimelech said unto Isaac: 'Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.' (Torah GEN.26.16, JPS 1917) tree →
- And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle. (Torah EXO.12.38, JPS 1917) tree →
- For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much. (Torah EXO.36.7, JPS 1917) tree →
- And he brought forth the spoil of the city, exceeding much. (Prophets 2SA.12.30, JPS 1917) tree →
- I am afflicted very much; quicken me, O LORD, according unto Thy word. (Writings PSA.119.107, JPS 1917) tree →
- Overbearing speech becometh not a churl; much less do lying lips a prince. (Writings PRO.17.7, JPS 1917) tree →
- How much money does she have left? tree →
- How much more does the bike cost than the ball? tree →
- How much water is in the tank? tree →
- He did not eat much. tree →
- How much is this ice cream? tree →
- A whale is much bigger than a dolphin. tree →
- Thank you very much for the present. tree →
- Don't eat too much candy before dinner. tree →
- how much for 3 of them? (casual) tree →
- «What's up?» «Not much, you?» (casual) tree →
- Ate all 8 cookies? Greedy much? (sarcastic) tree →
- Ascertain the quantity of water, in litres, remaining in the vessel subsequent to the removal of 4 litres. (formal exam) tree →
- It has hurt me so much!” tree →
note
«How much» asks for an amount (often money or a measure); «how many» asks for a count. «How much more/less» asks for a difference, so subtract. Trap: «much more» in a sentence is not a number. Much goes with uncountable nouns (much sand), many with countable ones (many shells). In casual talk «how much» is often said wrongly for a count («how much kids») — answer with a count. «Greedy much?» is a jibe, not a question about amount. Formal «the quantity of» = how much.
In the corpora
- And Abimelech said unto Isaac: 'Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.'
- And portions were taken unto them from before him; but Benjamin's portion was five times so much as any of theirs.
- And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not so much as one of the cattle of the Israelites dead.
- And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.
- For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «much» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.