それは何ですか？
How much と how many は、数量を尋ねるために使われます。
How much は不可算名詞とともに使います。不可算名詞は、通常、個別の項目として数えられないものを表します。
- How much water do you drink?
- How much time do we have?
How many は、複数形の可算名詞とともに使います。可算名詞は、個別の項目として数えることができます。
- How many books do you own?
- How many people are coming?
Very は、形容詞または副詞の前に置いて、その意味を強めます。「高い程度に」という意味です。
- The coffee is very hot.
- She speaks very slowly.
いつ使うか
How much は、数えられないものの量を尋ねるために使います。
一般的な不可算名詞には以下のものがあります：
-
water
-
milk
-
money
-
time
-
information
-
rice
-
sugar
-
work
-
How much money do you need?
-
How much rice should I cook?
How many は、数えられるものの数を尋ねるために使います。
- How many chairs are in the room?
- How many emails did you receive?
How much は、何かの値段を尋ねるためにも使います。
- How much is this jacket?
- How much are those shoes?
Very は、形容詞を強めるために使います。
- The room is very cold.
- That film was very interesting.
Very は、副詞を強めるためにも使います。
- He drives very carefully.
- She finished very quickly.
構造
how much を使った疑問文
次の形を使います：
how much + 不可算名詞 + 助動詞 + 主語 + 主動詞？
| How much | 不可算名詞 | 助動詞 | 主語 | 主動詞 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How much | water | do | you | drink? |
| How much | money | does | she | need? |
| How much | time | did | they | spend? |
動詞 be を使う場合は、次の形を使います：
how much + 不可算名詞 + is/was + 補語？
- How much milk is in the fridge?
- How much time was available?
値段を尋ねる場合は、次の形を使います：
how much + is/are + 名詞？
- How much is the ticket?
- How much are these bags?
how many を使った疑問文
次の形を使います：
how many + 複数形の可算名詞 + 助動詞 + 主語 + 主動詞？
| How many | 複数名詞 | 助動詞 | 主語 | 主動詞 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How many | languages | do | you | speak? |
| How many | cars | does | he | own? |
| How many | photos | did | she | take? |
動詞 be を使う場合は、次の形を使います：
how many + 複数形の可算名詞 + are/were + 補語？
- How many students are in the class?
- How many people were at the meeting?
much と many を使った平叙文
Much と many は、否定文や疑問文でよく使われます。
- We do not have much time.
- She does not have many friends.
- Do you drink much coffee?
- Are there many shops nearby?
肯定文では、a lot of の方が自然なことがよくあります。
- We have a lot of time.
- She has a lot of friends.
very を使った文
次の形を使います：
very + 形容詞
- very cold
- very expensive
- very tired
次の形を使います：
very + 副詞
- very slowly
- very carefully
- very well
完全な文では：
主語 + 動詞 + very + 形容詞/副詞
- The test was very difficult.
- He answered very politely.
通常、very を名詞の直前に置くことはありません。
- a very interesting book
- not a very book
例
- How much water do you drink every day?
- How much money did the trip cost?
- How much is this blue shirt?
- How many brothers do you have?
- How many people work in this office?
- How many apples should we buy?
- This bag is very heavy.
- She is very happy with her new job.
- He speaks English very well.
- The children walked very slowly.
例外
名詞の中には、意味によって可算名詞にも不可算名詞にもなるものがあります。
- How much coffee do you drink?
- How many coffees did you order?
最初の文では、coffee は飲み物全般を意味します。2番目の文では、coffees は個々のカップや提供分を意味します。
通常、すでに極端な意味を表す形容詞とともに very を使うことはありません。
very excellent の代わりに、excellent を使います。
very impossible の代わりに、impossible を使います。
一部の極端な形容詞は、absolutely や completely などの語で強めることができます。
- absolutely impossible
- completely empty
よくある間違い
-
誤り: How many water do you drink? 正しい: How much water do you drink? 説明: Water は不可算名詞なので、how much を使います。
-
誤り: How much books do you have? 正しい: How many books do you have? 説明: Books は複数形の可算名詞なので、how many を使います。
-
誤り: How many money do you need? 正しい: How much money do you need? 説明: Money は英語では不可算名詞です。
-
誤り: How much apples are there? 正しい: How many apples are there? 説明: 複数形の可算名詞には how many を使います。
-
誤り: How much is these shoes? 正しい: How much are these shoes? 説明: shoes は複数形なので、are を使います。
-
誤り: She is very a friendly person. 正しい: She is a very friendly person. 説明: very は冠詞の前ではなく、形容詞の前に置きます。
-
誤り: He drives very careful. 正しい: He drives very carefully. 説明: 誰かがどのように運転するかを表すには、副詞を使います。
-
誤り: I have much friends. 正しい: I have many friends. 説明: 複数形の可算名詞には many を使います。