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From many (adj):

more: adj comparative

most: adj superlative

From much (adj):

more: adj comparative

most: adj superlative

talking about a greater number or amount

You use more or more of to talk about a larger number of people or things, or a larger amount of something.

You use more in front of a noun which does not have a determiner, such as ‘the’ or ‘a’, or possessive, such as ‘my’ or ‘our’, in front of it.

There are more people going to university than ever before.

They were offered more food than they needed.

You use more of in front of a pronoun, such as us or it, or in front of a noun which has a determiner or possessive in front of it.

There are more of them looking for work now.

I've read more of his novels than anybody else's.

talking about an additional number or amount

You also use more or more of to talk about an additional number of people or things, or an additional amount of something.

More police officers will be brought in.

We need more information.

More of the land is needed to grow crops.

I ate some more of her cookies.

used with modifiers

You can use words such as some and any and expressions such as a lot in front of more and more of.

We need to buy some more milk.

I don't want to take up any more of your time.

She plans to invite a lot more people.

These words and expressions can be used in front of more and more of when they are followed by a plural form:

any	far
lots	many
no	several
some	a few
a good many	a great many
a lot

These words and expressions can be used in front of more and more of when they are followed by an uncountable noun or a singular pronoun:

any	far
lots	much
no	rather
some	a bit
a good deal	a great deal
a little	a lot

Be careful
Don't use ‘many’, ‘several’, ‘a few’, ‘a good many’, or ‘a great many’ in front of more or more of when they are followed by an uncountable noun or a singular pronoun. Don't say, for example, ‘I need a few more money.’ Say ‘I need a bit more money’ or ‘I need a little more money’.

‘more than’

If you want to say that the number of people or things in a group is greater than a particular number, you use more than in front of the number.

Police arrested more than 70 people.

He had been awake for more than forty-eight hours.

When you use more than in front of a number and a plural noun, use a plural form of a verb after it.

More than 100 people were injured.

More than a thousand cars pass over this bridge every day.

used in comparatives

More is also used in front of adjectives and adverbs to form comparatives.

My children are more important than my job.

Next time, I will choose more carefully.

Comparative and superlative adjectives Comparative and superlative adverbs

many

‘many’ used in front of a plural noun

You use many immediately in front of the plural form of a noun to talk about a large number of people or things.

Many young people worry about their weight.

Her music is popular in many countries.

In positive statements, ‘many’ is slightly formal, and a lot of is often used instead.

A lot of people agree with this view.

➜ See lot

In questions and negative statements, many is usually used rather than ‘a lot of’.

Do many people in your country speak English?

There are not many books in the library.

‘many of’

To refer to a large number of the people or things in a particular group, you use many of in front of a plural pronoun, or in front of a plural noun phrase beginning with the, these, those, or a possessive such as my or their.

Many of them were forced to leave their homes.

Many of the plants had been killed by cold weather.

Many of his books are still available.

‘many’ used as a pronoun

Many is sometimes used as a pronoun to refer to a large group of people or things. This is a fairly formal use.

Many have asked themselves whether this was the right thing to do.

Be careful
Don't use ‘many’ or ‘many of’ before an uncountable noun, to talk about a large quantity or amount of something. Use much or much of.

➜ See much

‘many more’

You can use many with more to emphasize the difference in size between two groups of people or things.

I have many more friends here than I did in my home town.

We have had many more problems recently than before.

much

‘very much’

You use very much to say that something is true to a great extent.

I enjoyed it very much.

When very much is used with a transitive verb, it usually goes after the object. Don't use it immediately after the verb. Don't say, for example, ‘I enjoyed very much the party’. Say ‘I enjoyed the party very much’.

Be careful
In positive sentences, don't use much without very. Don't say, for example, ‘I enjoyed it much’ or ‘We much agree’ Say ‘I enjoyed it very much’ or ‘We very much agree’.

In negative sentences, you can use much without ‘very’.

I didn't like him much.

The situation is not likely to change much.

‘much’ meaning ‘often’

You can also use much in negative sentences and questions to mean ‘often’.

She doesn't talk about them much.

Does he come here much?

Be careful
Don't use ‘much’ in positive sentences to mean ‘often’. Don't say, for example, ‘He comes here much’.

Many other words and expressions can be used to indicate degree.

Adverbs and adverbials (for a graded list of words used to indicate degree)

used with comparatives

You often use much or very much in front of comparative adjectives and adverbs. For example, if you want to emphasize the difference in size between two things, you can say that one thing is much bigger or very much bigger than the other.

She was much older than me.

Now I can work much more quickly.

Much more and very much more can be used in front of a noun to emphasize the difference between two quantities or amounts.

She needs much more time to finish the job.

We had much more fun than we expected.

‘much too’

You use much too in front of an adjective to say that something cannot be done or achieved because someone or something has too much of a quality.

The bedrooms were much too cold.

The price is much too high for me.

Be careful
In sentences like these you put much in front of too, not after it. Don't say, for example, ‘The bedrooms were too much cold’.

used as a determiner

You use much in front of an uncountable noun to talk about a large quantity or amount of something. Much is usually used like this in negative sentences, in questions, or after too, so, or as.

I don't think there is much risk involved.

Is this going to make much difference?

The President has too much power.

My only ambition is to make as much money as possible.

In positive sentences, a lot of is usually used instead of ‘much’, especially in conversation and less formal writing.

There is a lot of risk involved in what he's doing.

➜ See lot

In more formal writing, much is sometimes used, especially before abstract nouns such as discussion, debate, or attention.

Much emphasis has been placed on equality of opportunity in education.

‘much of’

In front of it, this, or that, use much of, not ‘much’.

We saw a film but I don't remember much of it.

Much of this is already possible.

You also use much of in front of a noun phrase which begins with a determiner, such as the or a, or a possessive, such as my or his.

Much of the food was vegetarian.

Carla spends much of her time helping other people.

In positive sentences, a lot of is usually used instead of ‘much of’, especially in conversation and less formal writing.

She spends a lot of her free time reading.

➜ See lot

used as a pronoun

You can use much as a pronoun to refer to a large quantity or amount of something.

There wasn't much to do.

Much has been learned about how the brain works.

Be careful
You don't usually use ‘much’ as an object pronoun in positive sentences. Instead you use a lot. For example, don't say ‘He knows much about butterflies’. Say ‘He knows a lot about butterflies’.

She talks a lot about music.

I've learned a lot from him.

➜ See lot

‘how much’

You use how much when you are asking the price of something.

I like that dress – how much is it?

➜ See how much

Be careful
Don't use ‘much’ or ‘much of’ with plural countable nouns, to talk about a large number of people or things. Use many or many of.

➜ See many

'more' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

a - ability - above - actual - alike - all - already - also - alternate - always - among - and - announcement - another - any - any more - anyone - anywhere - apologize - appear - bad - beach - bear - bear - before - better - between - big - both - break - bring up - Britain - can - careful - certain - certainly - choose - class - classic - colour - common - complete - comprise - concentrate - concerto - confidant - conscious - content - control - dare

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