Much or A Lot

[Tdol]

Is there as rule of usage?

[RonBee]

:) She has considerable free time.
:) She has a great deal of free time.
:) She has a lot of free time.
:) She has loads of free time.
:( She has much free time.

If there is a rule I don't know it,
But I am sure Cas will show it.

:wink:

Originally Posted by tdol

Is there as rule of usage?

We usually use "much" with negatives in our everyday and usual languge.

"She doesn't have much free time."

A - Do you have a lot of free time right now?

B - No, not much.

"She has much free time." - This doesn't sound very natural, though I suppose it would be grammatically correct. I might think it "okay" for emphasis in the right context.

She has MUCH free time.


We use "a lot" regularly with either a negative or an affirmative statement.

"She has a lot of free time."

"She doesn't have a lot of free time."

We also use "much" with the adverbs "too" and "so" in an affirmative or negative statement. Of course, we have to take into consideration how the meaning is affected.

"She has too much free time now."

"She doesn't have too much free time these days."

"She has so much free time now."

"She doesn't have so much free time anymore."

We usually use "much" with negatives in our everyday and usual languge. However, there would be and are times when "much" is used in an affirmative statement. The usage note explains this very well.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=much

much

adj : (quantifier used with mass nouns) great in quantity or degree or extent; "not much rain"; "much affection"; "much grain is in storage" [syn: much(a)] [ant: little(a)] n : a great amount or extent; "they did much for humanity" adv 1: to a great degree or extent; "she's much better now" 2: very; "he was much annoyed" 3: to a very great degree or extent; "we enjoyed ourselves very much"; "she was very much interested"; "this would help a great deal" [syn: a lot, a good deal, a great deal, very much] 4: (degree adverb used before a noun phrase) for all practical purposes but not completely; "much the same thing happened every time" [syn: practically] 5: frequently or in great quantities; "I don't drink much"; "I don't travel much" [syn: a great deal, often]

[Casiopea]

She has too much free time. (OK)
She has much too much free time. (OK)

Iff much is modified it's okay.
Iff much is left unmodified it's awkward.

much works well in questions because its quantity is left undefined:

How much free time do you have? (OK)

The same holds true for negation:

I haven't much free time / not much time. (OK)

Using much as a quantifier doesn't work well:

I have much free time (Not OK)

unless it is itself quantified:

I have too much free time.

:D

[Tdol]

The unmodified form of 'much' does sound clumsy.

[RonBee]

Originally Posted by Casiopea

She has too much free time. (OK)
She has much too much free time. (OK)

Iff much is modified it's okay.
Iff much is left unmodified it's awkward.

much works well in questions because its quantity is left undefined:

How much free time do you have? (OK)

The same holds true for negation:

I haven't much free time / not much time. (OK)

Using much as a quantifier doesn't work well:

I have much free time (Not OK)

unless it is itself quantified:

I have too much free time.

:D

Cas, how did you like my rhyme, and don't you think I have too much free time?

:wink:

Originally Posted by Casiopea

She has too much free time. (OK)
She has much too much free time. (OK)

Iff much is modified it's okay.
Iff much is left unmodified it's awkward.

much works well in questions because its quantity is left undefined:

How much free time do you have? (OK)

The same holds true for negation:

I haven't much free time / not much time. (OK)

Using much as a quantifier doesn't work well:

I have much free time (Not OK)

unless it is itself quantified:

I have too much free time.

:D

Yes, it simplifies things to simply say that "much" must be modified.

:)

I think it could be all right unmodified in the right context to show emphasis. It would be rather unusual sounding, but I think okay for emphasis in the proper context. Much of this would have to do with how the speaker wants to express himself or herself.

Do you think so?

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by RonBee

Cas, how did you like my rhyme, and don't you think I have too much free time? :wink:

I loved it. :D
I myself cannot rhyme, at all. :(

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by CitySpeak

I think it could be all right unmodified in the right context to show emphasis. It would be rather unusual sounding, but I think okay for emphasis in the proper context. Much of this would have to do with how the speaker wants to express himself or herself.

Do you think so?

Uhm, well, hmm:

Much of this would have... (Much is modified/defined by this)

*Much would have... (Much is unmodified)

:D

[Tdol]

You could say:

Much was said....

Couldn't you?