[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/many.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / many

[← M](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/M/)

# many

«many» in Mova's school dictionary: **a large number of things or people: many birds** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

determiner, pronoun (many, more, most)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Many means a large number of things or people: many birds. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/many/#m1)

2) «How many» asks for a number: How many cats do you have? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/many/#m2)

3) «As many as» compares two equal numbers. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/many/#m3)

4) «Too many» means more than is wanted; «so many» means a great number. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/many/#m4)

5) (casual) Chatty talk says «loads», «heaps» (Australia, NZ), «tons», «a ton of», «lots», «a bunch of», «a load of», «a gazillion» instead of many. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/many/#m5)

6) (casual) «How many he got then?» is broken grammar for «How many has he got?». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/many/#m6)

7) (formal) The exam voice says «numerous», «a considerable number of», «a multitude of», «the number of», «what quantity of». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/many/#m7)

### sense in the lessons

in «how many», asking for a count; «how many more/fewer … than» asks for a difference; «twice as many» = multiply by 2; «as many as» = equal; in everyday life «so many», «too many», «many times»; «many happy returns» (happy birthday); in casual talk «heaps», «loads», «tons»; in the exam voice «Determine the number of …», «numerous», «a considerable number of»

### examples

- How many cards does Zoe have now? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/many/#x1)
- How many more stickers does Ali have than Mia? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/many/#x2)
- Tom has twice as many pens as Sue. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/many/#x3)
- Many children walk to school. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/many/#x4)
- How many legs does a spider have? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/many/#x5)
- There are too many toys on the floor. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/many/#x6)
- I have read this book many times. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/many/#x7)
- Sam has as many cards as Leo. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/many/#x8)
- there's heaps of chips, take as many as ya want [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/many/#x9)
- how many he got left then? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/many/#x10)
- I've told you a million times! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/many/#x11)
- State the number of legs possessed by 3 spiders, each spider having 8 legs. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/many/#x12)
- Many years passed by after this. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/many/#x13)

### note

«how many» alone asks for a number, not an operation; «determine the number of» in an exam asks the same. Trap: «how many more/fewer … than» asks for a difference; «twice as many» means multiply by 2. «many» goes with things you can count (many apples); «much» with things you cannot (much water). «heaps», «loads», «a million times» are vague: they mean «a lot», not an exact number. A spider has 8 legs.

### In the corpora

- [Job hunting means searching adverts and sending applications, often dozens before getting anywhere; many get no reply at all.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/3-finding-a-job-and-getting-on/5/)
- [One worker alone has little power, but many together are much harder to ignore.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/4-when-work-goes-wrong/11/)
- [Many people are paid early in December, before Christmas, so January feels very long with the money already spent.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/5-where-money-comes-from/7/)
- [Benefits are paid for by everyone's taxes as a safety net, and many families who work get some help too.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/5-where-money-comes-from/11/)
- [Bailiffs can collect money owed only after a court decision and many warnings, under strict rules, and cannot take essentials.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/8-borrowing-and-debt/20/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «many» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/many/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.