oxford_guide_to_english_grammar

21 QUANTIFIERS PAGE 220
177 Large and small quantities
1 A lot of/lots of, many and much
a These express a large quantity. We use a lot of and lots of with plural and
uncountable nouns. But many goes only before plural nouns and much before
uncountable nouns.
Plural: A lot of people/Lots of people work in London.
There aren't many trains on a Sunday.
Uncountable: You'll have a lot of fun/lots of fun at our Holiday Centre.
There isn't much traffic on a Sunday.
b
As a general rule, we use a lot of/lots of in positive statements and many or much
in negatives and questions. But, • (1c).
Positive: There are a lot of tourists here.
Negative:
Question:
There aren't many tourists here.
Are there many tourists here?
How many tourists come here?
We also use many or much (but not a lot of) after very, so, too, as and how.
Very many crimes go unreported.
There were so many people we couldn't get in.
There's too much concrete here and not enough grass.
How much support is there for the idea?
NOTE
a Lots of is more informal than a lot of.
b We can use quite and rather before a lot of but not before many or much.
There are quite a lot of tourists here.
c A great many is rather formal.
A great many crimes go unreported.
c
A lot of is rather more informal than much/many. In informal English we can use a
lot of in negatives and questions as well as in positive statements.
There aren't a lot of tourists/many tourists here.
Is there a lot of support/much support for the idea?
And in more formal English we can use many and much in positive statements as
well as in negatives and questions.
Many tourists come here year after year.
2 (A) few, (a) little and a bit of
a
A few and a little mean a small quantity. We use them mainly in positive
statements. A few goes only before plural nouns and a little before uncountable
nouns.
Plural: Yes, there are a few night clubs in the city.
Uncountable: I've still got a little money/a bit of money, fortunately.
A bit of means the same as a little, but a bit of is more informal.
NOTE
a We can use quite before a few and a bit of.
There are quite a few night clubs in the city.
This means a fairly large quantity, similar to quite a lot of night clubs.