More and Many

This week we answer a question from Pakistan. Shahid writes,

Question:

Please explain about "more" and "many." What is the difference between them?" – Shahid, Pakistan

Answer:

Dear Shahid,

The words "more" and "many" do appear to be similar in meaning. Both are adjectives, and one is sometimes an adverb. Here is the difference:

"Many" is used when something can be counted. Here's a example of how to use "many" in a question.

"How many people marched in the parade?"

Many is an adjective describing people. What kind of people? Many people. It might be a very large number, but you can still count the number of marchers in a parade.

Now, we turn to the word "more." You can use it with things you cannot count.Let's hear how to use it in a question:

"Would you like more tea?"

What kind of tea? The answer is more tea, but you are not specific about how much more.

As an adverb, "more" is often used to compare two things, sometimes with the word "than" following it:

"There were more people on the train than usual."

Here is another sentence where "more" is used as a comparison adverb:

"I like to eat more food than my brother."

You are comparing two people: you and your brother. One person eats more food than the other.

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I'm Anne Ball.

Anne Ball wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

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Words in This Story

piano – n. a large musical instrument with a wooden case and metal strings

specific – adj. special or particular

emphasis – n. something of special importance or value