The two girls look much/very alike.

[angliholic]

The two girls look much/very alike.
The two girls look much/very afraid.
The two girls fell much/very asleep.



Do both very and much fit in the above contexts? If not, why not? Thanks.

[Anglika]

These days it would be very unusual to hear "much" used in this way. Only the first sentence is likely to turn up. "Very" is the word to use.

The last sentence is incorrect with either word - fell fast asleep

[BobK]

Originally Posted by Anglika

These days it would be very unusual to hear "much" used in this way. ...

But, as often happens when a word drops out of use, it leaves a fossil - in this case 'much the same' [=very similar/all but identical]:

'The free speech debate at the Oxford Union yesterday [http://www.spiegel.de/international/...19888,00.html]
provoked much the same sense of outrage as the free speech debate there in 1961.' [Telegraph ]

b

[angliholic]

Originally Posted by Anglika

These days it would be very unusual to hear "much" used in this way. Only the first sentence is likely to turn up. " Does turn up mean show up/appear?

The last sentence is incorrect with either word - fell fast asleep Does this mean fell sound asleep/sept soundly?

Thanks, Anglika.

Originally Posted by BobK

But, as often happens when a word drops out of use, it leaves a fossil - in this case 'much the same' [=very similar/all but identical]:

'The free speech debate at the Oxford Union yesterday [http://www.spiegel.de/international/...19888,00.html]
provoked much the same sense of outrage as the free speech debate there in 1961.' [Telegraph ]

b

Thanks, Bobk.

[Anglika]

Originally Posted by Anglika
These days it would be very unusual to hear "much" used in this way. Only the first sentence is likely to turn up. " Does turn up mean show up/appear? Yes - He turned up yesterday unexpectedly.

Another usage is "The book turned up under her bed" which can also be written as "The book [we couldn't find] was found under her bed".

The last sentence is incorrect with either word - fell fast asleep Does this mean fell sound asleep/sept soundly? >>fell sound asleep.

[angliholic]

Thanks, Anglika.