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Noha
A lot of hours OR Many hours?
Hi all,
Do you know which one is grammatically correct?
I spent..... hours studying for the test
( a lot of - lots of - Many)
Aug 17, 2020 12:40 PM
Answers · 4
1
To add a bit of information to the answers from Hilary and Charlie...
In informal, spoken English, we would be more likely to use "many" in a negative sentence, but NOT in a positive sentence.. ("Many" in a positive sentence sounds VERY formal)
We'll use "lots of" or "a lot of" in positive, negative sentences and questions.
I have a lot of friends.
I have lots of friends.
I don't have many enemies.
This is true for "much" as well, for uncountable nouns.
August 17, 2020
1
The things people say in conversation are usually not what you would encounter learning English. So, what I would "naturally" say in this context, particularly in speaking to someone, would be something along the lines of:
"I spent tons and tons of time studying for the test." (a ton is a weight, a ton is a very heavy weight.)
or,
"I spent loads of hours studying for the test." (a load is an amount, a load is a large amount.)
August 17, 2020
1
Well, they are all "grammatically correct", but you would most usually hear/say "many". The other two alternatives might be used to insist on the length of time, e.g in an exchange like this:
A - I guess you spent several hours preparing for the test.
B - Oh yes, I spent a LOT of hours studying for it. (...putting the stress on the word "lot"... + the same for "lots")
August 17, 2020
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Noha
Language Skills
Arabic, English
Learning Language
English
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