Cool MateMany vs There were many of them
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Many
Top 1,000 (very common)A1
There were many of them
Top 5,000 (fairly common)
Most common: Many
| Many | There were many of them | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈmeni/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈmeni/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //ðeə wɜːr ˈmɛni əv ðɛm//🇺🇸 //ðɛr wɜr ˈmɛni əv ðɛm// |
| Meaning | a lot of something | A phrase indicating a large number of people or things. |
| Example | There are many trees in the park. | There were many of them at the concert last night. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 5,000 (fairly common) |
| CEFR level | A1 | - |
| Collocations | many people, many options, many times, many ideas, many choices | there were many, many of them, there is a lot, there were several, many people |
| Antonyms | few, less | - |
| Common mistakes | Using 'many' with uncountable nouns (e.g. 'many water'), Confusing 'many' with 'much' (e.g. using 'many' in questions about uncountable nouns), Incorrectly placing 'many' at the beginning of sentences | Omitting 'of' and saying 'There were many them'., Using 'was' instead of 'were' for plural subjects., Confusing with 'There are many of them' for current situations. |
| Usage notes | Use 'many' for plural countable nouns. It's more common in questions and negatives. Avoid using it with uncountable nouns. | Used when referring to a large quantity, often in informal conversation. Suitable for both spoken and written contexts but avoid in very formal writing. |
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Frequently asked questions: Many vs There were many of them
What's the difference between Many and There were many of them?
Many: a lot of something There were many of them: A phrase indicating a large number of people or things.
Which is more common: Many and There were many of them?
Many is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Many: There are many trees in the park. There were many of them: There were many of them at the concert last night.
Can I use Many and There were many of them interchangeably?
Not always. Many and There were many of them are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.