Questions with "a lot"

[Emanuelli]

Happy 2005!!!

In fact, not that Happy because of what has happened in Asia and Africa.

1. Please, much / many are used in negative or interrogative sentences, all right? But can I use " a lot" in all of them (affirmative, interrogative and negative)?
Examples: Did you drink a lot? / Did you drink much?
Does she have a lot of friends? / Does she have many friends?
Is there much homework? / Is there a lot of homework?
I worked a lot last night. / I worked very much last night.

Thanks.

[Mister Micawber]

Yes indeed you can, but it is best to avoid the phrase if possible in formal writing. Sometimes this is very hard to do, especially in affirmative statements, because 'much' always sounds very awkward in that situation, while other structures take some imagination:

I have a lot of money. (informal)
I have much money. (awkward and unnatural)
I have a considerable amount of money. (formal)