A lot of/lots of - much - many

A lot of/lots of son usados con sustantivos contables en plural y sustantivos incontables, en oraciones afirmativas. La preposición of se omite cuando a lot/lots no va seguido por un sustantivo.

     Were there  a lot of/lots of  apples on the tree? Yes, there were lots.

Much y many son usados en oraciones negativas e interrogaciones. Much se usa con sustantivos incontables y many con sustantivos contables en plural.

     There aren't many parks in the centre of the city.
     Did you spend much money at the market?

How much/how many se usan en preguntas y negaciones.

     How much + sustantivo incontable -> cantidad

          How much salt shall I put in the sauce?

     How many + sustantivo contable -> número

          How many children does she have?

Too much es usado con sustantivos incontables. Tiene un significado negativo y muestra que hay más de lo que queremos o necesitamos.

     I couldn't sleep, the workmen were making too much noise.


Too many es usado con sustantivos contables en plural. Tiene el mismo significado negativo que too much.

     It was very crowded. There were too many people there.

Usamos la siguiente estructura:

many/much/some/any/most/(a) few/(a) little/several/one/two + of + the/that/this/these/those + noun

cuando hablamos sobre un grupo específico:

     Some of the houses in that street are very expensive.
    (houses in that street)

pero

     Some houses are very expensive.
    (houses in general)