SOME - ANY - A LITTLE - A FEW - MUCH - MANY

Some, any, a little, a few are used to express quantity, to say or ask if you have
a quantity of something or not.

 Some is used in affirmative sentences, and also when asking for or offering something.

 Any is used in negative and interrogative sentences.

 A few is used with countable nouns : a few apples.

 A little is used with uncountable nouns : a little cheese.

Here are some examples :

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

There are some apples in the Are
There aren't any apples.
bowl. there any apples?
(We want to know if
(We don't know how many,
(The bowl is empty.) the bowl contains
but the bowl is not empty.)
apples.)

There are a few apples, There Are

not many, a small number. aren't many apples. there many apples?

Is
There is a little cheese. There isn't much cheese.
there much cheese?

N.B.: Asking and offering : Can I have / would you like some coffee?

See also : a lot-much-many

 A LOT OF - MUCH - MANY

A lot of - much - many :

 A lot of :

 A lot of can be used in all sentences: affirmative, negative and interrogative.

 Much - many :

 Much is used with uncountable nouns (for example: 'much English')

 Many is used with countable nouns (for example : 'many words').

 Much and many are used in negative and interrogative sentences.

They are rarely used in affirmative sentences, except:

 If they begin a sentence:

- Many people believe all they hear.
- Much of what was said was confusing.

 If they are preceded by ‘so’, ‘as’ and ‘too’

and in some expressions with ‘very’:
- There was much noise.
- There was so much noise that I couldn’t hear very well.
- We ate many cherries.
- You can eat as many cherries as you like.
- They gave us much information.
- They gave us too much information.
- I enjoyed the film very much.

 In formal or written English.

In affirmative sentences much and many are more often used in formal
or
written English whereas a lot of/ lots of are more common in
conversational English.
For example, much and many are generally used in newspaper reports
and headlines.

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

We learn a lot I don't know a lot Do you learn a lot
of English. of English. of English?
I make a lot I don't
Do you know much English?
of mistakes. know much English.
BUT :
Much of our food is I don't know a lot Do you make a lot
exported. of words. of mistakes?
Many people drive too Do you
I don't know many words.
fast. make many mistakes?

Compare a lot of and a lot :

 Tom knows a lot of vocabulary.

 Charlie is talkative. He talks a lot.